Sir Ian McKellen has told Sky News he has "sympathy" for black people in Hollywood who feel discriminated against but added that gay people are also still being "disregarded".
The 76-year-old said criticism surrounding the lack of diversity among nominees at the Oscars is "legitimate".
The nominations for this year's Academy Awards have been mired in controversy after no ethnic minority actors or actresses were named in the top categories.
Sir Ian said: "As a representative of the industry they're in, it's receiving complaints which I fully sympathise with.
"It's not only black people who've been disregarded by the film industry, it used to be women, it's certainly gay people to this day.
"And these are all legitimate complaints and the Oscars are the focus of those complaints of course."
The nominations for the 2016 Academy Awards sparked an online campaign with the hashtag OscarSoWhite, as well as a debate about race and the film industry.
Actors Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, will boycott the ceremony alongside director Spike Lee.
Others including actors George Clooney, Mark Ruffalo, Lupita Nyong'o, David Oyelowo, Viola Davis and British director Steve McQueen have spoken of their disappointment with the lack of diversity among the nominees.
The Academy announced a new aim last week to double the number of female and minority members by 2020.
Sir Ian was speaking at the launch of BFI Presents Shakespeare On Film, a project which will see him travel around the world to make 400 years since the playwright's death.
The programme explores how film-makers have adapted and interpreted Shakespeare's work for the big screen.
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