In a recent It Got Better video,
British actor Ian McKellen says coming out publicly made everything
better.
McKellen, 77, is best known for playing
Gandalf in the The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit
trilogies and Magneto in the X-Men films. He came out in
1988.
In the nearly 9-minute video, McKellen
says he realized he was gay in his early teens.
He said that to publicly come out
earlier than he did would have jeopardized his career.
“[Being closeted] didn't stop me
[from] enjoying my life and having fulfilling relationships with
other people, because in my circle there was no secrecy. And I
started relationships and lived with other men quite openly,”
McKellen said.
McKellen said that coming out publicly
changed his life “totally for the better.”
“My relationships with my family were
better. I was a better son. I was a better brother. I was a better
uncle. I was a better friend,” McKellen said. “Everything was
better.”