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Ian McKellen: ‘Astonishing to see Tory Prime Minister insist on gay marriage’

By Ryan Love

Sir Ian McKellen has said that he finds it “astonishing” to see a Conservative Prime Minister “insist on gay marriage”.

Speaking to the Sunday Times Culture magazine, the actor reflected on how times had progressed from the “distant days of section 28”.

Sir Ian McKellen

“It’s astonishing for a Tory Prime Minister to insist on gay marriage, dragging the party behind him,” McKellen said.

“I suppose it’s possible because we live in a small country and you only have to persuade about 50 people, all of whom live within sight of this window, and if they agree, they can have it in law within a year.

He added: “Americans have to slog through every state.”

In the interview, the Vicious star once again reflected on not having spoken to his father about being gay.

“It wasn’t fair of me,” he said. “You’re 24, you’re living with another man, you know that about yourself, your father loves you, is always asking how you are in every possible way, and I think, if he’d lived a bit longer, I would have told him.

“We couldn’t really have a proper relationship until I had. I didn’t give him a chance to say ‘That’s all right’, then get interested in my life from that point of view.”

The new series of Vicious continues Mondays on ITV.

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