Ian McKellen said in a recent interview with The Times of London that he feels sorry for fellow actors who feel like they can’t come out as gay. The “X-Men” and “Lord of the Rings” icon has been one of the most prominent gay actors for decades. He publicly came out in 1988 at age 48 during a radio interview on BBC. He is now urging performers to not keep their sexual identity a secret.
“I have never met anybody who came out who regretted it,” McKellen said. “I feel sorry for any famous person who feels they can’t come out. Being in the closet is silly — there’s no need for it. Don’t listen to your advisers, listen to your heart. Listen to your gay friends who know better. Come out. Get into the sunshine.”
McKellen observed that there’s never been an openly gay Oscar winner for best actor, nor has there been an openly gay U.K. prime minister or Premier League soccer player.
“In women’s sport it’s not an issue,” he said. “I would imagine young footballers are probably, like actors, getting very bad advice from agents who are worried about their own incomes. But the first Premier League footballer to come out will become the most famous footballer in the world, with all the agencies begging for his name on their products.””
While biases against gay actors in Hollywood persist, McKellen thinks the benefits of coming out far outweigh the risks. Kate Winslet told The Sunday Times in 2021 that it’s “dated crap” for Hollywood to overlook gay actors, especially when it comes to casting straight parts. She added: “That should be almost illegal.”
“I cannot tell you the number of young actors I know — some well known, some starting out — who are terrified their sexuality will be revealed and that it will stand in the way of their being cast in straight roles,” the Oscar winner said. “Now that’s fucked up… I can think of at least four actors absolutely hiding their sexuality. It’s painful because they fear being found out. And that’s what they say, ‘I don’t want to be found out.’”
Read McKellen’s full interview with The Times of London’s here.
