Ian McKellen shelp in a recent intersee with The Times of London that he senses sorry for fellow actors who sense enjoy they can’t come out as gay. The “X-Men” and “Lord of the Rings” icon has been one of the most famous gay actors for decades. He disclosely came out in 1988 at age 48 during a radio intersee on theBBC. He is now urging carry outers not retain their intimacyual identity a secret.
“I have never met anybody who came out who repentted it,” McKellen shelp. “I sense sorry for any honord person who senses they can’t come out. Being in the shutt is silly — there’s no necessitate for it. Don’t hear to your advisers, hear to your heart. Listen to your gay frifinishs who understand better. Come out. Get into the sunshine.”
McKellen watchd that there’s never been an uncoverly gay Oscar triumphner for best actor, nor has there been an uncoverly gay U.K. prime minister or Premier League soccer joiner.
“In women’s sport it’s not an rerent,” he shelp. “I would envision youthfuler footballers are probably, enjoy actors, getting very terrible advice from agents who are worried about their own incomes. But the first Premier League footballer to come out will become the most honord footballer in the world, with all the agencies begging for his name on their products.””
While biases aacquirest gay actors in Hollywood persist, McKellen leanks the profits of coming out far outweigh the hazards. Kate Winslet tageder The Sunday Times in 2021 that it’s “dated crap” for Hollywood to disponder gay actors, especiassociate when it comes to casting straight parts. She inserted: “That should be almost illegitimate.”
“I cannot tell you the number of youthfuler actors I understand — some well understandn, some begining out — who are terrified their intimacyuality will be uncovered and that it will stand in the way of their being cast in straight roles,” the Oscar triumphner shelp. “Now that’s fucked up… I can leank of at least four actors absolutely hiding their intimacyuality. It’s hurtful becaparticipate they trouble being set up out. And that’s what they say, ‘I don’t want to be set up out.’”
Read McKellen’s brimming intersee with The Times of London’s here.
