On 16 March 2002, he hosted "Saturday Night Live". In 2003, McKellen made a guest appearance as himself on the American cartoon show "The Simpsons" in a special British-themed episode entitled "The Regina Monologues", along with the then UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and author J. K. Rowling. In April and May 2005, he played the role of Mel Hutchwright in Granada Television's long running British soap opera, "Coronation Street", fulfilling a lifelong ambition. He narrated Richard Bell's film "Eighteen" as a grandfather who leaves his World War II memoirs on audio-cassette for his teenage grandson.