Veteran actor Ian McKellen recently sat down for an Oxford Union Q&A, during which he weighed in on the sexual assault allegations currently rocking Hollywood.
“Of course people taking advantage of their power is absolutely reprehensible,” he says.
“Wherever it happens. In the family… in the workplace — doesn’t have to be the theater, doesn’t have to be Hollywood, it could be the local shop.
It won’t do, wherever it happens. People must be called out, and I know it can be painful for victims to do that.”
Related: Ian McKellen has a message for closeted actors
After expressing hope that the endless barrage of revelations will “eradicate it altogether,” he tells his own story:
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
“When I was starting acting in the early 1960s, the director of the theater I was working at showed me some photographs he got from women wanting jobs. They were actors. And some of them had at the bottom of their photograph: ‘DRR.’ DRR. Directors’ Rights Respected. In other words, ‘If you give me a job, you can have sex with me.’
That was commonplace for people who proposed they should be a victim.”
McKellen ultimately believes “nothing but good can come out of these revelations.”
You can hear these particular comments around the 41-minute mark:
Don't forget to share:
spankt
Yeah I think what he said was how people who might not otherwise be cast made it known to a director (possibly even gay) that they would have sex for a part.
dougmbaaser
What article did you read? I thought it was a way that whorey could let directors know they would have sex for a part.
tham
That’s the problem with the Metoo: Hollywood version.
A lot of the “victims” are not really “victims”…but more of a business deal that didn’t live up to their hopes.
Stenar
tham, that is complete nonsense.
hankejh
you obviously do not or ever have lived in Los Angeles, Stenar
mhoffman953
@Stenar
Not really. Lots of women (and men) in film, TV, and music will willingly sleep with higher ups to further their career.
Jaxton
Some women will do anything for fame and fortune.
Stenar
Typical gay male misogyny.
PinkoOfTheGange
Someone got into the Egg Nog early I see.
Georgeiv2
Jaxton MRS TRUMP for example !
Bob LaBlah
For those of you who watched Feud: Betty vs Joan there should be no surprise to any of this. Back in the days of Louie B. Mayer, The Warner Bros….etc those actresses hit the couch willingly and many of them (such as Joan Crawford) initiated it themselves so they could work. Why would it be different for gay actors dealing with gay men in power. If you don’t like the conditions then change careers. Its just that simple.
PinkoOfTheGange
So how far back can we go to say it has always been that way:
1850 and make CA a slave state;
1605 when Spain burned Jews and England Drawn and Quartered RCC clergy?
How about we put a line in the sand and say this isn’t going to be standard practice and if we catch some one doing it they will be ruined? Sound like a plan?
Bob LaBlah
Dear, why did you leave off Alexander the Great? He was a documented homosexual with no wife. And surely you’ve heard about Caligula. I can’t remember his name off the top of my head but it is also documented that a Greek emperor threw his fifteen year old male boy toy into the Mediterranean sea after angering him while on a cruise. Many greek emperors were gay. Its gone on since the days man conquered man. Good luck to all of you in getting it stopped. Men of real power such as David Geffen seem to not have to worry much about vindictive male lovers once they open their mouths crying they want to be paid after being kicked out of their lives. Geffen’s episode disappeared like a fart in the wind as did every episode of Calvin Kline’s sex life. It doesn’t last forever (the complaints) and things go right back to “normal”, shall we say. lol
markhfreeman
Dear B LaBlah, isn’t that like saying “If you don’t like the homophobia of, say Mike Pence, you always have the right to become straight. Or a self-hating religious fundamentalist”? If we don’t like conditions, we can change them. Not our careers or our identities. Feud may show what reality may have been like during those times, but it needn’t be taken as an ideal. Hope I am not stepping on some sensitive area, Bob. Best to you!
Bob LaBlah
No dear. you haven’t stepped in no sensitive areas. Your opinion is your opinion. Think back to the days of slavery. Not all of the women were raped but lets face it, the black male or female whom the slave owner found attractive was at his mercy. The only choice they had was either run away (which many did) or go along with it and stay alive. In todays world it translates to go along with it or risk the possibility or being blacklisted once you file a lawsuit. I worked at the phone company in California for twelve years as saw institutionalized tradition (as to many promotions) with both strait and gay people and simply accept the “costs” of some workplace situations. With the majority of those situations it was all mutual but every now and then an ogre would come along and mess it up for everyone. I, unfortunately, worked with just about every humorless blob Pacific Bell hired. Eventually people moved on, got reported, fired and sued. But it will ALWAYS continue no matter what. Its called human nature. As long as there are people there will be sex involved. The Chinese military is notorious for their abuse of women and they couldn’t care less about public opinion and the Russians. We elected a president whom we all heard what he said on tape about where to grab women and pull them across the floor. A mass reeducation of the populace is not going to take place anytime soon. Trust me.
Evji108
It doesn’t matter how long it’s been going on and it doesn’t matter if aspiring actors were willingly complicit. It’s time for this shit to be over.
natriley
There are great stories about his life as a gay activist, but if you love the theater his comments about playing Shakespeare and acting are profound and succinct.