Ian McKellen has encouraged young actors to come out — “Get into the sunshine.”
Ian McKellen, legendary actor who has starred in franchises such as Lord of the Rings and X-Men, recently noted that no openly gay actor has ever won Best Actor and has encouraged the young generation of actors to come out, in an interview with The Times.
“I have never met anybody who came out who regretted it. 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.”
He also thinks that the first major footballer to do it will become the most famous footballer on the planet.
“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.”
McKellen acknowledges that while it is easier to come out in places like the UK, multiple states in the US are still attempting to end same-sex marriage.
“We always have to be alert. In this country, I hope because of gay marriage, more people are less frightened and more accepting of gay people. Elsewhere the picture is not so good.”
Ian McKellen publicly came out in 1988 at age 48, a year after portraying a gay monarch in Edward II, a Christopher Marlowe play that later aired on TV, featuring one of the first same-sex kisses on screen. Reflecting on the production, he recalled controversy in Scotland, where a local councillor opposed its performance in a Church of Scotland-owned venue. However, police deemed it acceptable. “Thanks to all the publicity the play sold out.”
What’s next for Ian McKellen with the LOTR franchise
Sir Ian McKellen is currently in talks to reprise his role as Gandalf in the upcoming film, The Hunt for Gollum, directed by Andy Serkis and produced by Peter Jackson. There’s also the chance it will be turned into a pair of films. The story is set before The Lord of the Rings trilogy and focuses on Gollum’s backstory and the quest to find him. The last update we had, Ian McKellen had yet to see a script and stated with his age, “They better be quick.”
Aragorn is another major player in the book, with Gandalf specifically assigning him to hunt down Gollum. The writers want Viggo Mortensen to reprise his role, but it will depend on how the script is when the final draft is done. The plan is to use normal de-aging tech, not AI. That will likely be the case with Ian McKellen as well, as the actor is currently 85 years old.
For future updates on The Hunt for Gollum and The Lord of the Rings franchise, check out our film section.
