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Sir Ian Murray McKellen, is a recipient of six Laurence Olivier Awards, a Tony Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BIF Award, two Saturn Awards, four Drama Desk Awards and two Critics’ Choice Awards. He has also received two Academy Award nominations, four BAFTA nominations and five Emmy Award nominations in a genre spanning career, ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. His notable film roles include Gandalf in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ trilogies and Magneto in the ‘X-Men’ films.

He was quoted several years ago as saying that he had never met a gay person who had come out and regretted it, thus sending a powerful message to people hiding their sexuality. “Anyone in public life who comes out, comes out primarily for themselves, and their life is immediately improved. That’s what happened to me,” he said. “The world [became] a slightly better place.”

Unfortunately, he seems to have taken it upon himself to “out” fellow actors seemingly content to keep their private lives just that – private.

In a German interview from the 2012 premiere of the first Hobbit film, Ian McKellen supposedly said the following:

“Just look how many openly gay actors in the “Hobbit” there were: two of the dwarves, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Lee Pace.”

Considering that only two of the named individuals are openly gay, perhaps his comments are less appreciated than he might think. In any event, who cares?