Ian McKellan: Hollywood Producers Keep Gays In The Closet
Sir Ian McKellan, a favorite around our house, has been openly out about his sexual orientation since 1988. Not only has this NOT hurt his career, it really hasn’t affected his reputation as a respected actor and reasonable human being for that matter.Â
Having scored big playing the larger-than-life wizard Gandalf in Peter Jackson’s excellent film adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s epic Lord of the RingsTriology, Mr. McKellan is everywhere. Recently, lending his voice to the animated film Flushed Awayand of course as Mageneato in all three X-Men films. Ian is a huge star, and is now using his power to draw attention to an issue that he feels needs to be addressed: forcing actors and actresses to hide their sexual orientation.Â
According to Starpulse, McKellan has criticized actors/actresses for not disclosing their proclivities in the past, but is not complaining that the root cause may be the movie makers themselves:
“With all that liberal attitude (in Hollywood), you have a local industry which is saying to local people who live in the area - ‘When you come to work, you are not gay.’ And I think to myself, ‘Can people whose minds work like that make good films? And if at the heart of Hollywood there is that lie, how many other lies are there?’
“And it’s the producers who have this problem - God knows what sort of people they are - who think that it’s impossible for you and me to fancy the same person. Well, what dull lives they must have.”
I applaud Ian McKellan for being upfront at a time when many people were still in the closet. As each day passes and we become more aware of what makes the human mind tick and the biology of sexuality, how is it even remotely okay to judge a person for their natural needs and desires? Ignorance and bigotry in an industry that prides itself on being left of the mainstream, and so deeply wishes to influence the very heart of who we are as a culture, should be setting the standard for what we find acceptable. Perhaps if more notable and well-respected folks like Sir Ian were to speak up, they will listen.
Being gay is perfectly acceptable by my standards.
Being a raging, vacant, self-absorbed, hate-filled whore, not so much. Yes, Paris Hilton, I am talking to you, beeyotch. When’s Hollywood going to do something about her blighting its very existence? I know this isn’t really related, but I couldn’t help myself.
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I have always had a big fat, older-man crush on this adorable and gifted man.
I applaud him for being openly gay and proud of it.
Taking the whole older-man crush into the equation though, I sorta wish he wasn’t…
Comment by the domestic minx — April 5, 2007 @ 8:17 am