Quotes from Ian Mckellen

I just followed my parents' example and advice on living, which was to leave the world a better place than you found it. They were professional do-gooders, ministers of the church, social workers, teachers, and missionaries, that sort of thing.

I had never come across the 'X-Men' comics till I was asked to play Magneto, so I just jumped into that job.

I certainly wouldn't define myself as a northerner. I'm not even really sure what that means. I've lived in London for 50 years. I wasn't born here, but I have spent most of my life here. So I don't make much of it, to be honest. I'm just myself.

Tolkien is as good as Dickens at sketching a scene.

There's lots of Tolkien that must be confusing to people.

If I was on a march at the moment I would be saying to everyone: 'Be honest with each other. Admit there are limitless possibilities in relationships, and love as many people as you can in whatever way you want, and get rid of your inhibitions, and we'll all be happy.

Acting is a very big part of what human beings do. A dog is always a dog, but we're always changing.

Establishing the rights for gay people to be married would cost the Australian government nothing financially and would gain for you worldwide respect from people like us and, of course, would change lives enormously - the lives of gay people and of their friends and of their families and therefore of Australia as a whole.

I can't take on all the worries of the world, you know. I can only talk about being gay and being an actor. I'll have to leave those other battles to somebody else.

Most of the time when you do a job, a play or a film, you're wondering, "Will there be an audience?"

I'm not someone who wears shades all the time and ducks into a darkened car in case I'm recognized - that would be absolute misery.

Very, very rare that you do a job knowing that the audience is desperate for you to do that job. Most films you make don't get released, is the fact.

In the '50s and '60s, the life of a gay man was a secret. Homosexuality was illegal, so you didn't draw attention to yourself.

I'm fortunate to be famous for two rather imposing characters like Magneto and Gandalf.

It's my impression that I've done every job that I've been asked to do.

Most actors are not rich - they are very poor indeed. What keeps them going is that they just love the job.

The thing you notice here after America is how refreshingly ordinary people look because they haven't had their chin wrapped around the back of their ears.

Godot is whatever it is in life that you are waiting for: 'I'm waiting to win the lottery. I'm waiting to fall in love'. For me, as a child, it was Christmas. At least that eventually came.

I was a shy gay man at a time when it was illegal to be gay.

People who are truly horrible are often the most interesting people in the room. You look at them and just say, 'Why?'

Acting is no longer about lying. It's now about revealing the truth. People are at ease with me now. Honesty is the best policy.

My acting stopped being about disguise and became about truth which suits the camera, so my film career took off when I came out.

In Singapore, Malcolm X type of activity would be extremely difficult because the government can be very harsh on lawbreakers.

There have been many gay knights in the past - like Sir Noel Coward or Sir John Gielgud.