Ian McKellen wants to expand the definition of diversity among those in Hollywood. The Oscar nominations have created multiple discussions about diversity in Hollywood and how that is not reflected in this years nominations. McKellen wants to stress that gay actors are being "disregarded" in Hollywood and are being ignored as much as African American actors are.
The Lord of the Rings star explained that he feels a strong prejudice toward the LGBT community.
McKellen opened up about these sensitive issues during an interview with Sky News.
"As a representative of the industry they're in, it's receiving complaints which I fully sympathize with. It's not only black people who've been disregarded by the film industry, it used to be women, it's certainly gay people to this day. And these are all legitimate complaints and the Oscars are the focus of those complaints, of course," said McKellen.
McKellen has been nominated in 1999 for Gods and Monsters and back in 2002 for his work as a supporting actor in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
The Oscars have been under extreme pressure for lack of diversity amongst nominees, Straight Outta Compton and Creed both missed out on Best Picture Nominations, many celebrities have been weighing in on the issue, from Jada Pinkett Smith to Oscar winner Steve McQueen.