Actor and gay rights activist Sir Ian McKellen has attacked Tom Cruise over the star's recent lawsuit, reported a UK website.

The 62-year-old who is widely considered one of the leading British actors of his generation criticised Cruise who alleged that rumours about his sexuality were damaging his career.

In December last year Cruise settled a US$100 million lawsuit against a magazine publisher who claimed that he had a video tape of the star having gay sex.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Emilie Elias stated: "Plaintiff Tom Cruise does not appear on the videotape to which said defendant referred in his statement alleged in the complaint. Plaintiff is not, and never has been, homosexual and has never had a homosexual affair."

McKellen, who is currently starring in The Lord of The Rings, said: "He's talking nonsense. It's a very childish view of an audience's reaction to actors."

He added: "Is Tom Cruise suggesting that if he ever wears a beard in the future that is not his own, we are not to take that performance seriously? Or, now that he's no longer married, if he were to play a married man, he couldn't possibly be convincing?"

McKellen who is believed to be Britain's first openly gay knight remarked: "One doesn't have to speculate on Cruise's sexuality to attack his point of view."