Sir Ian McKellen sat down for a Buzzfeed Brews interview on Friday, Feb. 21, where he discussed being a gay actor and his support of Ellen Page.
McKellen discussed his own experiences as a gay actor with Buzzfeed as he recalled a time before 1988, when he officially told the public that he was gay.
“I was always openly gay,” he said. “I had a series of partners and we went everywhere together and we were accepted, living in London in the’60’s and ‘70’s…”
Mckellen explained that he never “made a fuss” or dreamt of getting married, being in a civil union or, if he had the desire to, serve in the military. He stated that he didn’t argue for those rights and “rather went along with” it because he was enjoying his time being in the spotlight as an actor.
One of his reasons for accepting the popular role in Marvel’s X-Men series, where McKellen plays Magneto, was that the mutant community serves as an allergy for the gay community.
“I was sold it by Bryan who said, ‘Mutants are like gays. They’re cast out by society for no good reason,’” McKellen shared about his conversation with the film’s director Bryan Singer. “And, as in all civil rights movements, they have to decide: Are they going to take the Xavier line- which is to somehow assimilate and stand up for yourself and be proud of what you are, but get on with everybody- or are you going to take the alternative view- which is, if necessary, use violence to stand up for your own rights.”
McKellen also had a reaction about Ellen Page, who came out at a LGBT youth conference on Feb. 14. The two have worked together as co-stars in the X-Men films, and McKellen showed nothing but support for her.
“All this has come to a happy conclusion, hasn’t it? With Ellen Page- Kitty Pyrde- coming out,” he said. “That gladdened my heart so much.”
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
