Actor Sir Ian McKellen speaks during a press conference for the film “Mr. Holmes” at the 2015 Berlinale Film Festival in Berlin, Germany on Sunday, February 8, 2015. | Photo Credit: Michael Sohn
Actor Ian McKellen is expected to make a full recovery after he was hospitalised on Monday after falling off a stage during a fight scene in London, a spokesman said.
A spokesman for the Noel Coward Theatre said McKellen, 85, was in “good spirits” after doctors said scans showed he would make a full recovery following the fall.
Stage and screen veteran best known for playing Gandalf Lord of the Rings According to a BBC journalist present at the theatre, the actor, who has appeared in films and numerous stage roles in a career spanning six decades, cried out in pain after the fall.
McKellen was playing John Falstaff in the “Player Kings” production of Henry IV, Parts One and Two, adapted and directed by Robert Icke at the Noel Coward Theatre.
A signboard for The Players Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre in London, starring Sir Ian McKellen, who is taken to hospital after falling off stage during a West End performance, Monday, June 17, 2024. | Photo credit: Jacob Friedland
In a scene with the Prince of Wales and Henry Percy he slipped and fell off the stage, shocking the audience in the theatre.
Spectator Paul Critchley told the PA news agency that “Sir Ian appeared to trip as he stepped down from the stage to take a more active part in the scene.” He said it was a jolt. “As he stepped down from the stage he picked up speed which resulted in him falling straight off the stage into the audience.”
The spokesperson said that the staff and two doctors present among the audience helped the ailing actor.
The theater was evacuated and the play was canceled. Tuesday’s play was also canceled to give McKellen time to rest.
McKellen’s career includes playing Magneto X Men films and several Shakespeare characters including Richard II, Macbeth and King Lear.
He has won a Tony Award for “Amadeus,” several Laurence Olivier Awards and has been nominated for two Oscars and several Bafta Awards.
