Half of Hollywood is gay, yet gay men don't exist in movies: Ian McKellen

Veteran actor Ian McKellen has attacked Hollywood's timidity in depicting minorities on screen.

The 78-year-old actor, famous for his roles in "Lord of the Rings" series and the "X-Men" franchise, is openly gay and has been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights.

In an interview with Time Out, McKellen was asked about the controversy surrounding the decision not to show the young Dumbledore as "explicitly gay" in the upcoming "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" sequel.

"Well, nobody looks to Hollywood for social commentary, do they? They only recently discovered that there were black people in the world. Hollywood has mistreated women in every possible way throughout its history. Gay men don't exist," McKellen replied.

The actor credited 1998 film "Gods and Monsters", in which he starred as director James Whale, as being the "beginning of Hollywood admitting that there were gay people knocking around, even though half of Hollywood is gay."