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Troye Sivan Almost Came Out to Ian McKellen Before Family & Friends
The two actors worked together in a theater production of Waiting for Godot in the West End.
“All right then, keep your secrets” realness!
Troye Sivan came out to the public in a YouTube video shared on August 7, 2013. At the time of writing, the video has over 9 million views. In many ways, Sivan was among the first wave of popstars to start his career in music already being an out gay man.
But before Sivan had even disclosed his sexuality to his friends and family members, he actually considered coming out first to Sir Ian McKellen, who many people recognize as Magneto in the X-Men movies and as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
In 2010, both actors were working together in a West End production of Waiting for Godot. McKellen was playing Estragon, whereas Sivan was playing a “boy” in the play. Sivan told GQ Germany:
“I hadn’t come out to my parents at the time, but I considered whether I would tell Ian McKellen. Somehow, I felt like he had noticed. I wanted to talk to someone about it so urgently, and he was so friendly.”
Sivan gathered up the courage to come out to his family shortly after meeting McKellen. Three years later, Sivan shared the aforementioned YouTube video titled “Coming Out,” where he came out to the entire world.
On Friday, October 13, Sivan is releasing his third studio album titled Something to Give Each Other. So far, this new era has displayed Sivan’s personal evolution when it comes to his sexuality.
His first album, 2015’s Blue Neighbourhood, had a large focus on coming out, having a first love, and experiencing heartbreak. 2018’s Bloom carried more confidence, with songs about finding out what you like in bed and unapologetically embracing your queerness.
The two first singles of Something to Give Each Other – “Rush” and “Got Me Started” – have been huge hits among the LGBTQ+ community. Both songs show Sivan already as a fully-realized queer person who is partying and living as his most authentic self.
Still, to think that this entire journey could’ve started with Sir Ian McKellen is pretty hilarious!
Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out, as well as a writer and content creator. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida. You can follow him on Instagram at @bernardosim.
Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out, as well as a writer and content creator. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida. You can follow him on Instagram at @bernardosim.
