LOS ANGELES, Jan 11 — Sir Ian McKellan dropped an unexpected gift on Twitter today: a blog detailing his time on the Lord of the Rings.

McKellan had been famously reticient about taking the role but it proved to be one of his best career moves, paving the way for another iconic pop culture character: Magneto in the X-Men franchise.

The blog proves entertaining reading for Lord of the Rings fans and also good insight on how McKellan approached the role. Whether you're a into the Rings or the study of acting, there"s plenty to savour here.

You can read his blog here.