Sir Ian McKellan (or Serena as Stephen Fry dubbed him) is unquestionably the greatest living queer actor. And one of the best and most successful activists the LGBTQ+ community has ever enjoyed. He may have been 47 years old when he ‘came out‘ publicly but what he has managed to squeeze into his personal and professional life outpaces everyone else.
Besides his two Academy Award Nominations , he has one Tony Award ( + one nomination) 6 Laurence Olivier Awards . For his work on television he has been nominated six times for the Primetime Emmy Award, three times for the Golden Globe Award, six times for the Screen Actors Guild Awards and five times for the BAFTA Award. That’s besides the knighthood and the Companion of Honor the Queen bestowed on him.
But what seperates him from his acting peers is that on a personal note is his activism f or our community . He is a co-founder of Stonewall, an LGBT rights lobby group in the United Kingdom, named after the Stonewall riots., also apatron of LGBT History Month, Pride London, Oxford Pride, GAY-GLOS, LGBT Foundation[8] and FFLAG etc
In a statement on his website regarding his activism, McKellan commented: I have been reluctant to lobby on other issues I most care about—nuclear weapons (against), religion (atheist), capital punishment (anti), AIDS (fund-raiser) because I never want to be forever spouting, diluting the impact of addressing my most urgent concern; legal and social equality for gay people worldwide.
A few years ago QUEERGURU had the distinct pleasure of talking with the multi Award Winning Welsh Theatre/ Film Director SEAN MATHIAS when he was directing ‘McKellan On Stage” and we asked how the experience was.
“Well of course we were in a relationship for nine years and since then we have worked together at least a dozen times in America and in England and on tour. We are a good team I suppose.”
There’s been no fights? we asked
With big grin in his face Matthias added “There’s been a few fights and some real humdingers but I supposed I’ve mellowed. I am more the fighter and he doesn’t like confrontation. I get frustrated and want to get things sorted out . We don’t fight so much now, but let me tell you he’s not beyond it ” ***
Now at 86 years old the indefatigable McKellan is still very busy. He started this year by starring the pantomime Mother Goose in London’s West End has split up from his 30 year old boyfriend, and most recently had to reluctantly withdraw from a production of The Player Kings when he fell and damaged his leg. And his latest movie will be released into movie theaters this Fall.
You will see from the trailer below that McKellen is in his absolute element playing the bitchy and conniving lead role in filmmaker Anand Tucker’s The Critic.. Its all set in London in the 1940s and McKellen plays Jimmy Erskine who is a much feared theater critic who both makes and breaks actors careers. He has an acid wit and he engages it to damn every performance for would-be starlet Nina Land (Gemma Arterton). But his position is suddenly in jeopardy when the newspaper owner dies and his son and heir (Mark Strong) takes over and wants rid of Erskine.
It looks like that it will not be too difficult as the critic makes no secret of his queerness which is very much against the law, but will it really be that easy?
Its a gem of a part for McKellan and he plays it to the hilt ….. we can smell Awards already for him and very English cast that also includes the divine Lesley Manville
ROGER WALKER-DACK Creator, Editor-in-Chief Miami Beach, FL / Provincetown, MA IG @QUEERGURU Member of G.A.L.E.C.A. (Gay & Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association) and NLGJA The Association of LGBT Journalists. and The Online Film Critics Society. Ex Contributing Editor The Gay Uk & Contributor Edge Media Former CEO and Menswear Designer of Roger Dack Ltd in the UK
