X-Men and Lord of the Rings star Sir Ian McKellen has recorded a video for a New Zealand equal marriage campaign.

The actor, who co-founded the charity Stonewall, recorded the video on the set of ITV’s Loose Women for the New Zealand Green Party.

The New Zealand Marriage Amendment Bill, which would legalise equal marriage, passed its first reading on 22 August, with a majority of 80 votes to 40 in parliament in support of the change.

In the video, Sir Ian said: “New Zealand gave women the vote before every other country in the world, the rest of the world has looked towards New Zealand for social advance and here we are again- this time at the exciting prospect of two people of the same gender being able to get married and to join the rest of the population.

“It will be a popular move, I know, and I’m glad your major political parties have embraced it, supported too by the younger generation who see things a lot more clearly than people of my age.

“My support is with you and I hope that by the time I return to Middle-earth I might even be able to get married there.”

The video, that is similar in style to the British Out4Marriage campaign has been distributed on its YouTube channel.

James-J Walsh, Campaign Director for Out4Marriage told PinkNews.co.uk: “Sir Ian McKellan is arguably one of the LGBT communities greatest advocates, his video to New Zealand reminds us all that the fight for equality, and equal marriage is a global one, the Out4Marriage campaign thanks Sir Ian for his decades of support… and I hope that one day he’ll be able to marry “his precious” in New Zealand”