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Sent one 10x8 head shot to Sir Ian 25th March with a letter requesting him to sign it

received my envelope back without my picture, just a computer poor quality print 6x4 of him in Lord of the Rings signed to me. Its nice to get something but why not my picture back even if unsigned !

will post picture later

address used was Haymaket Theatre

Well I have to say that I am surprised! As I have got Sir Ian McKellen down as one of my best successes.

I also posted an autograph request to Ian McKellen to Theatre Royal Haymarket, as he is currently in 'Waiting for Godot' in March, for my wife's birthday in April.

I sent a Lord of the Rings themed birthday card and he replied within a week. He not only dedicated the card, writing my wife's name, greetings from middle earth and his signature, but he also drew a picture of Gandalf smoking a pipe on the left side of the card (when you open it). I thought this was all excellent, as he took time and effort to make the birthday card even more unique (rather than just sign it).

Another person who responded very quickly was Judi Dench, who also signed a Midsummer Night's Dream themed birthday card, when I sent a request to the Rose Theatre in Kingston, when the play was on last month.

The other people who have done drawings inside birthday cards that I have sent are Rolf Harris (another excellent card) and Alan Titchmarsh.

Hello, I've moved your topic to the correct forum.

Well done on your success, odd that you didn't receive your photo back.

That sounds amazing pkacary!

Phoebe

Do you have a scan? Maby your picture was somehow damaged and he got you anoter one.
Or you picture might have been difficult to sign. Ian is indeed one of the best signers.

As long as Sir Ian signed it personally, and it is not Auto-penned or secretarial or rubber stamped, I would consider it as a success! He is very sweet! I think that he could have accidentally damaged your photo when he opened your envelope. That's a possibility.
Sometimes, celebrity, for one reason or the other, do send their own photos. For example, I sent my photo end of February 2010 to Estelle Parsons via venue, actually I sent her 8x10 print( b/w) of her picture from internet, not exactly a photo. At the beginning of March 2010, she sent me back her own photo color 8x10 signed. The photo , which Ms. Parsons sent me is the same photo that I got in 2008. Probably , she uses the same photos for autographs.But, that's fine! I loved what she wrote back to me, an she also signed my letter.

There are three things which I think has happened here.

1. He didn't like the picture you sent - don't know what one it was, but maybe he didn't like the film the picture was from or the candid portrait

2. It was damaged during delivery.

3. There was nowhere for him to sign.

I'm guessing it was more likely to be number 2, and he probably had little time to get a replacement for you. If it was the picture you sent and you received it back damaged, I would recommend you writing to him again explaining. But as he has chosen that picture for you, it would probably be ungrateful to mention this incident in any future requests.

Exactly!

Johnny's Fan wrote:There are three things which I think has happened here.

1. He didn't like the picture you sent - don't know what one it was, but maybe he didn't like the film the picture was from or the candid portrait

2. It was damaged during delivery.

3. There was nowhere for him to sign.

I'm guessing it was more likely to be number 2, and he probably had little time to get a replacement for you. If it was the picture you sent and you received it back damaged, I would recommend you writing to him again explaining. But as he has chosen that picture for you, it would probably be ungrateful to mention this incident in any future requests.

Here is the card that Ian signed

Johnny's Fan wrote:There are three things which I think has happened here.

1. He didn't like the picture you sent - don't know what one it was, but maybe he didn't like the film the picture was from or the candid portrait

2. It was damaged during delivery.

3. There was nowhere for him to sign.

I'm guessing it was more likely to be number 2, and he probably had little time to get a replacement for you. If it was the picture you sent and you received it back damaged, I would recommend you writing to him again explaining. But as he has chosen that picture for you, it would probably be ungrateful to mention this incident in any future requests.

Thanks for your feed back on this, i am just a bit unhappy about it, but yeah at least i have something back. I just wanted something authentic from him before he finishes his play.


This is the photo i set him: http://www.david-whiteman.fotopic.net/p64001381.html

this is what i got back: http://www.david-whiteman.fotopic.net/p64001380.html

More likely is your request got mixed up with someone else's, and you were sent someone else's picture. That's happened to me several times.