Sir Ian McKellen, best known for his portrayal of Gandalf in “Lord of the Rings,” is one saucy old cat. He is so deliciously gay and open about anything that is on his mind. His gay rights lobby group, Stonewall, fights for equality and has been a passion of his for years. But his current wish is to have Justin Timberlake portray him in a musical about his life.

“The ‘Lord of the Rings’ star is keen to see his eventful life played out on stage and thinks the pop heartthrob would be the perfect person to portray him.

‘Justin vaguely resembles people in my family, and I think he is really talented.’”

[Monsters and Critics]

While Ian is a Justin Timberlake fan, he is first and foremost fiercely protective of his sexuality. Jake Gyllenhaal didn’t make an impression on him while answering questions about “Brokeback Mountain” last year during an interview.

“I got very upset when one of the actors (Jake Gyllenhaal) said it was the most terrifying job he’d ever had because it involved him kissing another man. Imagine how rude that is. Suppose I’d said the most appalling thing I ever to do was kiss Helen Mirren!”

[From Female First]

This is just a prime example of his personal views on Hollywood and homosexuality. In his experience the industry encourages gay actors to keep their gender preference under wraps. At times he was even asked to deny any gay allegations.

“I think to myself, ‘Can people whose minds work like that make good films? And if at the heart of Hollywood there is that lie, how many other lies are there?’ And it’s the producers who have this problem – God knows what sort of people they are – who think that it’s impossible for you and me to fancy the same person. Well, what dull lives they must have.”

[Monsters and Critics]

It is no secret that his goal is to prove that who you love, despite their gender, should not be an obstacle in any career path. Ian has also lent advice to educate the young gay community is Britain. His thoughts, along with 19 other prominent homosexuals across the pond, have been printed in a booklet designed to educate, encourage and provide help for the target audience of gay adolescents.

He is such a talented actor. I am so glad that people like Ian are out there fighting for rights like a curmudgeon superhero.

Ian McKellan is shown at The Orange British Academy Film Awards on 2/12/07, thanks to Splash News.