I have never met anybody who came out who regretted it,” McKellen shared in a new interview
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(764x247:766x249):format(webp)/Sir-Ian-McKellen-attends-A-Marvellous-Party-031025-tout-66b6aca18dfb488091e75187652a673a.jpg)
Ian McKellen is encouraging actors to own their truth.
The British actor and icon expressed feeling sorry for LGBTQ+ performers who don’t feel safe about sharing their sexual identity during an interview with The Times of London published on Sunday, March 9.
“I have never met anybody who came out who regretted it,” McKellen, 85, said in the interview. “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,” he continued. “Listen to your gay friends who know better. Come out. Get into the sunshine.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(672x269:674x271):format(webp)/Sir-Ian-McKellen-attends-The-Lord-of-the-Rings-The-War-of-the-Rohirrim-031025-f3ef3911ccff451c9a88c06d45cca53f.jpg)
In a 2023 Variety interview, McKellen, who publicly came out in 1988 during a BBC radio interview, expressed how doing so change how he approached his work and his personal life. “Almost overnight everything in my life changed for the better — my relationships with people and my whole attitude toward acting changed,” he told the outlet.
The Lord of the Rings actor also reflected on his own journey while speaking with The Times — including his prominent role in the 1970s production of Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II. The play focuses on the relationship between King Edward II of England and Piers Gaveston, and Edward’s murder on the orders of English nobleman Roger Mortimer.
McKellen and costar James Laurenson made history when the production was recorded for the screen and featured the first same-sex kiss on British TV. “I still hear from men of my generation who say that kiss was a huge moment for them,” McKellen said.
McKellen also touched on the current state of LGBTQ+ representation in several areas, pointing out there still has not been an openly gay Oscar winner for Best Actor nor an openly gay U.K. prime minister or Premier League soccer player.
“We always have to be alert,” McKellen added regarding same-sex rights. “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.”
