When Sir Ian McKellen performed the first same-sex kiss on British TV in the 1970 BBC production of Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II, he was not yet out. In fact, it would be another 18 years before the Lord Of The Rings icon would come out as gay.

Ian McKellen has called on younger gay actors to ignore advice to stay closeted and be open about their sexuality. "I have never met anybody who came out who regretted it," McKellen told U.K. newspaper The Sunday Times.