When Sir Ian McKellen performed the first same-sex kiss on British TV in the 1970 BBC production of Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II, he was not yet out. In fact, it would be another 18 years before the Lord Of The Rings icon would come out as gay.

Ian McKellen — film and theatre legend, Gandalf the Grey, and absolute queer icon — is encouraging actors to “get into the sunshine” and not hide who they are.

Sir Ian McKellen has some words of wisdom for his fellow actors. The “Lord of the Rings” star, who famously came out of the closet in 1988, recently encouraged other LQBTQ+ members of the acting community to open up and reveal their own sexual identities.