Not everyone welcomes aging with open arms, but actor Ian McKellen couldn't be happier with one of the lesser-known perks of being older.
The 76-year-old recently shared one of the best things about advanced age, in an interview with The New York Times. "I’ll tell you one of the nicest things about being older is if you’re invited out, and there’s a comfortable chair, you can make for it and sit in it. People will grant you that," McKellen said.
And if you're on the subway, wasting time absorbed in your smartphone, Gandalf himself has a message for you. "The other day on the Tube a pregnant woman stood up for me. That’s going far too far. But if a child is sitting down and taking a place on its wretched iPhone, [I think], 'Why don’t you stay at home?'" he said.
Most public transit systems make it a point to remind travelers to be considerate and offer up their seat to seniors, pregnant women and those who are disabled.
McKellen, best known as Gandalf from the "Lord of the Rings" film series, it seems, has come to embrace his age especially after starring as a senior Sherlock Holmes in his upcoming film, "Mr. Holmes." He portrays the famous clue-solving detective at 93, and even had to wear a prosthetic nose and liver spots for the role. But he says, it did help him imagine what the future will be like for him.
Other celebrities recently have expressed mixed feelings on the topic of aging. Action legend Sylvester Stallone, 69, recently told Deadline that he feels there's "zero good in getting older." But other post-50 celebs, like McKellen, have taken a sunnier approach. Susan Sarandon, who at 69 was just named L'Oreal's latest spokesmodel, recently said she looks forward to aging because it's "When what you look like becomes less and less an issue, and what you are is the point."
h/t New York Times
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