Ian McKellen feels ‘euphoric’ after receiving COVID-19 vaccine – CNET [CNET]

Gandalf has been protected. Actor Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies and Magneto in the X-Men films, among many other roles, received his first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, the English National Health Service announced in a press release.

McKellen himself tweeted out a photo of the shot, writing, “I feel very lucky to have had the vaccine. I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone.”

McKellen elaborated a bit more about the shot in the release, saying, “it took a few minutes and then it was done.”

The actor also said he hopes the vaccine will signal the beginning of a return to normal.

“I really hope that, as more people get vaccinated, we will move further along the path back to a more normal way of life, particularly for the arts, which have suffered so much this year,” he said. “We all have a part to play in the fight against coronavirus, and doing our bit and getting vaccinated will save lives.”

The NHS notes that recipients of the vaccine will need a second shot in about 21 days.

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