AssetID: 54590262
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Ian McKellen: 'Gay actors should come out of the closet'
Caption: Ian McKellen has called on younger gay actors to ignore advice to stay closeted and be open about their sexuality. The British actor, 85, who publicly came out at the age of 48 back in 1988, believes gay actors are still being advised to keep their sexual preferences private to avoid harming their career. ”I have never met anybody who came out who regretted it," McKellen told U.K. newspaper The Sunday Times. ”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.” Despite Hollywood's inclusive attitudes, there has still never been a Best Actor Oscar winner who was openly gay at the time of the ceremony, though McKellen himself was nominated for the award for his performance in Gods and Monsters in 1999. The Lord of the Rings star went on to compare the situation to male football, in which no active Premier League player has ever come out as gay. ”In women's sport it's not an issue. 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.” Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Ian McKellen,Gay,Actors,Closet,Come Out,Actor,British,Sexual,Preferences,Private,Career,The Sunday Times,Regretted,Oscars,Openly Gay,Gay Friends,LGBTQ
PersonInImage: