Screen and stage veteran Sir Ian McKellen urges young gay actors to come out, liking their situation to star footballers in the UK premier league. The English actor, most famous for playing wizard Gandalf in Peter Jackson’s epic Lord of the Rings franchise, told The Times of London newspaper:

English actor Ian McKellen called on closeted gay actors to “come out” and “get into the sunshine” in an interview published Sunday in The Times of London.

Ian McKellen wants his fellow actors to embrace their gender and sexual identity publicly. In an interview with The Times of London Sunday, the Lord of the Rings actor urged famous LGBTQ people hiding their identity to come out of the closet.

Ian McKellen said in a recent interview with The Times of London that he feels sorry for fellow actors who feel like they can’t come out as gay. The “X-Men” and “Lord of the Rings” icon has been one of the most prominent gay actors for decades.

Ian McKellen has offered an encouraging message to actors who haven’t yet come out of the closet, insisting that he hasn’t “met anybody who came out who regretted it.” The beloved star shared his thoughts on closeted actors during a recent interview with The Times of London.