Sir Ian McKellen: “the fight continues" for LGBTQ+ equality
September 16, 2024In his new film, The Critic, Sir Ian McKellen is portraying Jimmy Irskine, a ruthless and self-centred theatre critic who revels in delivering his notorious critiques. When his longstanding role at the newspaper is threatened, he resorts to his most cunning and unscrupulous measures to preserve it, regardless of who or what is in his way.
“What I really enjoy about acting is not being myself,” he explains with a laugh. “That’s what I enjoy, and that’s how I evaluate myself. ‘Could I get inside this person who feels unlike me?’
“And then you realize, of course, that you share something with whoever you're playing, no matter how awful they might be. I can imagine behaving poorly, although I try not to in real life.”
He mentions that embodying Jimmy was “easy enough”, not just due to critics he has met in his own life but also because, as Sir Ian notes: “He’s gay, which I am too”.
Despite this, Sir Ian is keen to emphasise that The Critic “shouldn’t be labeled as a gay movie” (“That implies an agenda to proselytize,” he explains. “We’re just telling a good story, but a credible one.”) Yet, he acknowledges that Jimmy’s sexuality is “relevant to the story” being told, particularly because it is set in a time when homosexuality was not only frowned upon but illegal in the UK.
“In the 1930s, being gay in London wasn’t easy,” the actor notes. “You’d have been living a life of deceit and disguise.”
Image Credit: Canva
“If this film had been made in the 1930s… well, it couldn’t have been made, really,” Sir Ian says. “It would have been too outrageous! Jimmy’s behavior could not have been depicted.”
Even though Sir Ian insists The Critic is “overall, just a really entertaining 90 minutes,” the film is quite radical in several ways, not least because, despite the character’s age, we see Jimmy indulging in a hedonistic lifestyle, engaging in anonymous public sex, enjoying all-nighters with his close circle, and provoking law enforcement when possible.
The film doesn’t shy away from examining the role of the state and law enforcement in the oppression of queer people during that time before homosexuality was decriminalised, nor does its leading actor. The time period of The Critic, Sir Ian points out, was when gay people “were being bullied by the state”.
“I think it all leaves scars on Jimmy’s spirit,” he says. “So, when he believes he needs to protect himself, to keep the job he loves, he does it in a bullying manner, mirroring how the laws of the land have bullied him.”
“It’s a profound story, and if people learn a moral from it, all the better,” he continues, adding: “It’s important we get it right, and I believe we do.”
For modern audiences, The Critic also acts as a reminder that the rights enjoyed by the LGBTQ+ community today are still relatively new, and the context for queer people, even a few decades ago, was significantly different.
“When I visit schools, I talk about what it used to be like when I was a student, emphasizing how much things have improved and how much more understanding and friendly we are to each other than laws once allowed,” Sir Ian shares.
He acknowledges that “the fight continues” for equality for all LGBTQ+ people, both locally and internationally, with many noting that the arguments previously used against gay and bisexual people are now being used in debates about the transgender community.
Overall, Sir Ian admits this is a topic he doesn’t “feel competent to discuss”, admitting: "I’ve only ever publicly spoken on two subjects I’m an expert on – A, being gay, and B, being an actor. Anything else, I’m on shaky ground.”
Nonetheless, the comparison, he notes, is a “very accurate” one.
“When we were campaigning for legal change in this country, much of the opposition came from those who simply didn’t acknowledge there was an issue,” he recalls. “‘I don’t know any queers’, ‘I don’t want my son to grow up a Nancy boy’, ‘he will if he meets other queers’... no, he won’t! That’s not how it works. The notion that you could talk someone into being gay if they weren't inclined that way all seemed absurd to me.”
“You now hear, ‘well, I don’t know any trans people, they don’t really exist, it’s not an issue’,” he adds. “And perhaps, we’re in a phase where people realize there is – for some – a problem. And it’s a dire issue, needing substantial support.
“The form that support should take can be debated, but it reminds me that when society dismisses a minority – and, worse, imposes unfair laws and restrictions on them – that’s when society is veering off course, and we need to correct it.”
Sir Ian has been synonymous with the fight for LGBTQ+ rights for decades, supporting various causes and organisations associated with the community and co-founding the charity and advocacy group Stonewall.
Nevertheless, the actor is surprisingly humble about his contributions to social progress, asserting he has “never been at the forefront of change”.
Instead, he claims, his role has “really been supporting others who comprehended how to effect change”.
“However, I’m aware, from what people tell me, that my presence was helpful in their personal journeys, knowing about people like me, Michael Cashman, Stephen Fry, and many others,” he says.
“We’re all connected, aren’t we? One wonderful aspect of coming out was not just how life changes significantly for the better – as you’re finally honest with yourself and others – but you make connections with others who’ve faced similar challenges. And not just locally – worldwide. So, declaring you’re gay can significantly help people.”
Reflecting on his own coming out in 1988, Sir Ian says: “I merely did what I did and found that by being honest about myself, I connected with many others. My contribution was simply being myself.”
Regarding that “national treasure” status, Sir Ian is uncertain about how justified it is (even if few others agree).
“If you’re in the public eye, you have a persona that’s largely beyond your control, shaped by others’ perceptions,” he says.
“And when people sometimes commend me for impacting their lives… well, that wasn’t really me. That was likely Gandalf, you know?”
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