“They are wretched players.”
Ian McKellen thinks he will be “long dead” by the time a Brexit deal happens, and has admitted he has “withdrawn entirely” from the process.
The Lord of the Rings actor spoke out following the recent news that the UK’s EU exit date had been extended once again to January 31, 2020.
Speaking to the Press Association, the star said: “I did think the other day, as we battle through Brexit, I thought ‘Oh good God, when I’m long dead they still won’t have the Brexit deal complete, so I think I won’t take a view on it.’
“I’ve withdrawn entirely, emotionally, from the race and am now watching it as a bit of chess and all I can say is they are wretched players and don’t know a pawn from a queen.”
McKellen’s critical comments follow those of Jarvis Cocker, who recently compared the state of politics to Game of Thrones.
Ian McKellen. Credit: Getty
“A strangely common aspect of people that get in power at the moment is that they’re these weird characters – ridiculous people in a way – but people seem to find entertainment in that,” began the Pulp icon. “And that’s dangerous really. Politics has turned into Game of Thrones and they like all the skulduggery and stabbing people in the back. I can’t see it ending well.
“The UK has always been divided but we’ve always got on,” he added. “But now, whatever happens, half the people are going to be kind of livid about it.”
McKellen will soon be appearing in the movie adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats alongside Taylor Swift, Judi Dench, Jennifer Hudson, James Corden, Ian McKellen, Idris Elba, Rebel Wilson and Jason Derulo.
