The Lord of the Rings star sat down with The Times London to discuss his experiences playing some of the most influential queer roles in British theatre over the years. In case you didn’t know, Ian publicly came out during a BBC radio interview at 48 years old in 1988 — a whole 25 years before gay marriage was legalized in the UK.

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 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.