Ian McKellen films final shot as Gandalf

Veteran British actor Sir Ian Mckellen marked the end of an era on Friday (28Jun13) as he filmed his last ever scene as J.R.R. Tolkien's iconic wizard Gandalf.

The 74 year old has played the character for more than a decade, appearing in three Lord of the Rings films and prequel The Hobbit, which has also been split into a trilogy.

McKellen has been busy filming the final installment of The Hobbit in New Zealand with director Peter Jackson, and he completed his work on Friday (28Jun13).

Jackson marked the emotional moment by posting a picture of himself posing with McKellen on his Facebook.com page.

Both men look glum in the snap, and Jackson explains it was an emotional moment for the pair, writing, "Seconds ago we finished our last shot with Gandalf. The end of an incredible adventure that began in 1999. I'm feeling very sad right now."

British actor Orlando Bloom finished filming his scenes on Saturday (29Jun13), and Jackson marked the moment by uploading a video of the star joking around on the film set, adding, "When we finally got the day done, we said goodbye to Orlando, had a couple of beers ... and couldn't resist doing this (posting the joke video online)."