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Tolkien super-fan Ben Coyles was out marking his 22nd do when he ran into the man who played the part.

Sir Ian, who was raised in Wigan and frequently comes back to the town, plays the wizard in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.

Ben was with a group of friends celebrating his birthday in Bristol when they turned onto Corn Street and saw the man himself.

In disbelief, Ben managed to get a picture with his hero.

Student Felix Spencer, 21, who filmed the moment, said: "We had no idea he would be there.

"We were on our penultimate pub when someone comes up to me and asks me if we would like our Gandalf to meet the real Gandalf.

"So I turn around and assume it’s going to be someone pulling my leg but when I turn round Sir Ian McKellen is right there.

"So I shout out to Ben so that he could have a chance to talk with him and get some pictures together."

Their friend Scarlet Learmonth said: "A few of us were aware of his nearby events, but never imagined to bump into him."

McKellen was performing at the Bristol Hippodrome on April 14 for the pantomime "Mother Goose" with comedian John Bishop.

Ben, a music student at the University of Bristol, said: "So it was really bizarre, it was my 22nd birthday, and we were on a pub crawl.

"Me and all my mates were walking down the street and I heard behind me 'do you want to meet the real Gandalf?'

"I didn't recognise him immediately then I was like 'OH MY GOD IT'S SIR IAN MCKELLEN!'

"Everybody said 'what on earth is going on?!'

"He asked me how old I was and said happy birthday and shook my hand.

"I was flabbergasted, I had no idea what to do or say.

"We had zero idea that he was walking down that street.

"If I was 10-20 metres ahead of him it wouldn't have happened, the planets aligned.

Man celebrating his birthday dressed as Gandalf bumps into Wigan's Sir Ian McKellen