 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 <unk> in Granada Television 's long running 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 . 
