Ian McKellen Tells Young Actors They Should Come Out: “Being in the closet is silly”

The 85-year-old actor, Sir Ian McKellen, is urging young gay actors to come out and live openly. In a recent interview, he shared his thoughts on why hiding one’s identity is unnecessary and how being open can make a difference, both in acting and beyond.

McKellen, who revealed he was gay in 1988 at age 48, believes that coming out is a step worth taking. “I have never met anybody who came out who regretted it,” he said. “I feel sorry for any famous person who feels they can’t come out.”

He encourages actors to ignore cautious advice from agents and instead follow their instincts. “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 said.

The actor compares the challenges faced by gay actors to those of athletes in the UK’s Premier League, where no senior player has come out as LGBTQ+. He points out that in women’s sports, being open about one’s identity is more common and accepted. “In women’s sport it’s not an issue,” McKellen noted.

“I would imagine young footballers are probably, like actors, getting very bad advice from agents who are worried about their own incomes.” He believes that the first Premier League footballer to come out would gain massive fame and attention. “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,” he added.

McKellen’s own journey to coming out began years before he made it public. In 1987, he starred in a TV adaptation of Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II, playing a gay king. The production included the first same-sex kiss shown on British television, between Edward II and Piers Gaveston.

At the time, a local councilor in Scotland objected to the play being staged in a church-owned venue. However, police allowed it to go ahead, calling it “fit for consumption,” McKellen recalled to The Times. The controversy only boosted interest, and the play sold out.

Now, decades later, McKellen remains a strong voice for LGBTQ+ rights. He co-founded Stonewall, a group that fights for equality, shortly after coming out. He has also supported peers like Victor Garber from Titanic and Elliot Page from X-Men, encouraging them to be open about their identities. When Page came out as transgender in 2020, McKellen was quick to offer praise. He also sent kind words to JoJo Siwa after she came out as gay in 2021.

Reflecting on his career, McKellen sees progress in the entertainment world but knows there’s more to do. He finds it surprising that no openly gay man has won a best actor Oscar, much like the absence of out players in top-level football.

Despite a recent injury—a fall from the stage during a West End play last summer that left him with a fractured wrist and ongoing pain—he has no plans to step back. He even hopes to play Gandalf again in an upcoming Lord of the Rings film, The Hunt for Gollum, set for 2026. “I’m not letting anyone else put on the pointy hat and beard if I can help it,” he said.

McKellen’s message is clear: being true to yourself matters. His words and actions show young actors—and others—that coming out can open doors, not close them.

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