October 29, 2012 | Arts / Entertainment

Sir Ian McKellen is a vicious old queen

Sir Ian McKellen has long been considered one of the greats of the big screen. Now the openly gay actor is setting his sights on the small screen. He, along with openly gay actor Derek Jacobi, is set to star in a new British sitcom called Vicious Old Queens.

In the series, the two will play an elderly homosexual couple living together in Covent Garden.

"No one can quite believe ITV have managed to get Sir Ian on board," exclaimed one unnamed source. "Brit stars don't get much bigger than him. It's a great coup for ITV to get these two."

Even better, Vicious Old Queens has veteran comedy writer Gary Janetti at the helm; he has worked on such hits as Will & Grace and Family Guy.

The BBC is rumored to be working on a similar project called George And Bernard Shaw. The pilot starred Robert Lindsay and Richard Griffiths as a gay couple on the 'wrong' side of 'middle age.'

And fans of McKellen have more to get excited about. He is also attached to a pilot currently being pitched to UK broadcasters. The mockumentary will focus on the life of a headmaster at the Clapham Academy of Creative Arts (CACA) who happens to be McKellen's (fictional) brother.

Sir Ian McKellen to star in TV comedy [Daily Star]