Alec Guinness gave Ian McKellen advice he refused to take, actor reveals

Sir Ian McKellen has opened up about an unexpected piece of advice late Star Wars icon Alec Guinness once gave him, admitting it is something he ultimately chose not to follow.

The Lord of the Rings actor revealed that Guinness, best known to generations of fans as Obi-Wan Kenobi, urged him to step back from LGBTQ+ advocacy work, believing actors should avoid becoming involved in political causes.

Speaking during a reader Q&A with The Guardian, McKellen recalled the moment after being asked about the worst advice he had ever received.

According to the veteran actor, the pair first crossed paths backstage in 1979 while McKellen was appearing in Bent, a play centred on the persecution of gay men during Nazi Germany. Guinness reportedly invited him to dinner at the time, though McKellen later admitted he had “stupidly declined” the offer.

Years later, the two reconnected, with McKellen saying Guinness raised concerns about his involvement with Stonewall, the UK LGBTQ+ rights organisation McKellen helped establish.

“He thought it somewhat unseemly for an actor to dabble in public or political affairs and advised me, sort of pleaded with me, to withdraw,” McKellen said, adding that it was “advice from an older generation” that he did not follow. 

McKellen said the memory recently resurfaced after watching Two Halves of Guinness, a stage production exploring the late actor’s life.

While Guinness became globally recognised through Star Wars, he was also known for his complicated relationship with the franchise and reportedly grew frustrated with parts of the role that later defined him on screen. 

McKellen, meanwhile, has remained one of Britain’s most outspoken supporters of LGBTQ+ rights, continuing his advocacy decades after helping launch Stonewall.