In this era of civil partnerships and openly Gay celebrities, it is easy to forget there was a time when actors remained in the closet for fear of ruining their careers. Speaking in New York, where he is about to star as King Lear, Sir Ian McKellen offered a vivid reminder of those dark days. In a question-and-answer session in the auditorium of TheTimesCenter, the new home of The New York Times, the actor, whose roles have ranged from Shakespearean characters to Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Magneto in The X-Men, told the audience that he had tried to persuade his fellow thespians Sir Alec Guinness and Sir John Gielgud to come out as Gay, but both declined.
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