Ian McKellen Urges Young Queer Actors to Come Out: 'Listen to Your Heart'

Out actor Ian McKellen had sage words of advice for the rising generation of LGBTQ+ actors: Kick the closet to the curb.

"The veteran actor, who came out as gay in 1988, compared the situation of some young gay actors to that facing closeted Premier League footballers," UK newspaper The Independent reported.

"I have never met anybody who came out who regretted it," McKellen told The Times of London, the Independent relayed.

Saying that remaining closeted "is silly" and saying that "there's no need for it," the acclaimed stage and screen star recognized that actors might hear from others in the entertainment industry that it's a better bet to lie about one's essential nature than to embrace authenticity.

McKellen was also realistic about the fact that, to date, no out queer actor has won an Oscar – though Karla Sofía Gascón recently made history as the first openly transgender performer to be nominated in an acting category when she was nominated for Best Actress for the Netflix trans drama "Emilia Pérez," which also scored a dozen other nominations. (In the event, Mikey Madison took the statuette for Best Actress for her work in "Anora," while "Emilia Pérez" landed only two of the coveted prizes.)

McKellen compared the situation to the sports world, noting that no top-level active British soccer player has come out (though players of other nationalities, such as Australia's Josh Cavallo and the Czech Republic's Jakub Jankto, have made global headlines by coming out).

"I would imagine young footballers are probably, like actors, getting very bad advice from agents who are worried about their own incomes," McKellen said in his comments to the London Times, Deadline relayed.

"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."

For actors, too, McKellen counseled against surrender to the outdated attitude that queer people are better off staying closeted.

"I feel sorry for any famous person who feels they can't come out," McKellen declared, according to Deadline.

McKellen went on to add: "Don't listen to your advisers, listen to your heart. Listen to your gay friends who know better. Come out. Get into the sunshine."