Ian McKellen Recalls Alec Guinness Urging Him Not to Campaign for Gay Rights

Summary

Sir Ian McKellen, 86, recalled in a Guardian interview that legendary British actor Alec Guinness once pleaded with him not to publicly campaign for LGBTQ+ rights. The meeting occurred in 1979 after Guinness attended McKellen's play "Bent," which deals with the persecution of gay men during the Holocaust. Despite Guinness's advice, McKellen continued his advocacy and has been a prominent LGBTQ+ rights activist for decades.