Sir Derek Jacobi recalls Mother’s reaction to his coming out

Sir Derek Jacboi has revealed how his Mother responded to his coming out as gay.

Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, the actor recalled how he had been at university at the time.

“She said, ‘All young men, go through this phase, don’t worry’. I remember saying, ‘Don’t tell Dad’. I think she did, but I don’t know.

“But they were wonderful, my parents, not much was said but they kind of knew, they got it.”

Jacobi was speaking in a joint interview with Vicious co-star and long-time friend, Sir Ian McKellen, who said that this was “the first time” he had heard the story.

On his own experience, he added: “I never came out to my family. Biggest regret of my life.”

Jacobi also spoke about keeping himself to himself, not becoming involved in the gay rights movement which attracted McKellen.

“No, I wasn’t open. I just lived my life and people responded to me,” he said. “If they knew, or thought, I was gay, that was fine.

“If they didn’t, that was fine. I’ve never been on a Gay Pride march. It doesn’t mean I don’t feel as strongly about it, I just don’t talk about it.”

The second series of Vicious begins on ITV on Monday, May 25th at 9pm.

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