Ian Mckellen

I love the Broadway audiences, who relish live drama and don't hesitate to display their enthusiasm.

I love musicals; I love the ballet, opera, the circus. It's all performance to me.

Gandalf saves the world and saves the soul of the world, really.

The battle going on over gay marriage in America reveals an awful lot. The Bible belt - people hate gay people. Because the Bible tells them? No, the Bible tells them an awful lot of things that they ignore.

I love working in New York.

It's only fair that stable gay relationships of long standing should have the same rights and responsibilities as married couples. I know the image of gay marriage is to some people horrific and ludicrous.

If I was on a march at the moment I would be saying to everyone: 'Be honest with each other. Admit there are limitless possibilities in relationships, and love as many people as you can in whatever way you want, and get rid of your inhibitions, and we'll all be happy.

The huge difference in my lifetime is that you can just go up to somebody and make a pass. You couldn't do that in the 1950s if you were gay. There were secret handshakes, a secret language. There was nowhere you could go to be romantic outside of people's houses.

Thanks to every gay person in public and non-public life who has come out.

There are still times in my life where I pull back from being totally honest, and I can't imagine a single straight person who would understand that.

Gandalf is ever-present in my life. I like it.

Splendid architecture, the love of your life, an old friend... they can all go drifting by unseen if you're not careful.