# The 1987 movie Ian McKellen “really regretted” turning down: “I needed a holiday”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-1987-movie-ian-mckellen-really-regretted-turning-down-i-needed-a-holiday/
- Published: 2026-11-15T13:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-15T14:25:00+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/1987-movie-ian-mckellen-regretted-turning-down/
- Topics: Culture, Entertainment, Film, Travel

## Key points

- McKellen regretted declining *Prick Up Your Ears*.
- He turned it down after a demanding spell on Broadway.
- Gary Oldman earned a Bafta nomination for playing Joe Orton.

## Summary

Ian McKellen says he regretted turning down the 1987 film *Prick Up Your Ears* after seeing it. He had been working hard on Broadway and wanted a holiday, but later wished he had joined the film about playwright Joe Orton and his partner Kenneth Halliwell.

Gary Oldman played Orton, with Alfred Molina as Halliwell and Vanessa Redgrave in a praised performance; Oldman received a Bafta nomination. Maggie Smith also declined the film, which addressed themes considered provocative at the time. McKellen returned to cinema in 1989 and now has several major screen roles ahead, including Magneto and Gandalf.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.