The 85-year-old revealed that wearing a fat suit protected him after he fell offstage during a West End performance in June.
McKellen told Saga Magazine that he hasn’t wanted to leave his home since the incident, where he chipped a vertebra and fractured his wrist due to the medical repercussions.
Richard Coyle, Sir Ian McKellen and Toheeb Jimoh bow at the curtain call during the press night performance of “Player Kings” at the Noel Coward Theatre on April 11, 2024. Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty Images Sir Ian McKellen attends the press night after-party for “Player Kings” at St Martins Lane Hotel on April 11, 2024. Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty Images
“My chipped vertebrae and fractured wrist are not yet healed,” said the English actor. “I avoid going out because I’m nervous someone might bump into me, and I’ve been dealing with agonizing pain in my shoulders due to the jolt my body took. But the fat suit I wore for Falstaff saved my ribs and other joints, so I consider myself lucky.”
“I’ve relived that fall countless times. It was horrible,” McKellen continued. “I thought it was the end of something. It was very upsetting. The end didn’t mean my death, but it felt like the end of my participation in the play.”
Sir Ian McKellen bows at the curtain call during the press night performance of “Player Kings” at the Noel Coward Theatre on April 11, 2024. Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty Images
These days, the “Lord of the Rings” star has to keep telling himself that he’s not too old to act.
“It was just a bloody accident,” McKellen recalled. “I didn’t lose consciousness, I hadn’t been dizzy, but I’ve not been able to return to the stage, and they’ve continued without me.”
The “Critic” star was portraying John Falstaff in “Player Kings,” a production of William Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Parts One and Two,” at the Noel Coward Theatre in London, when he fell during a battle scene.
A sign for Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre in London, starring Sir Ian McKellen. AP Sir Ian McKellen attends “The Delaunay Presents An Evening With” at the Delaunay, Aldwych, on April 21, 2024, in London, England. Dave Benett/Getty Images for The Wolseley Hospitality Group
McKellen tripped on a newspaper, caught his foot on a chair, and tumbled into the front row. He “cried out in pain” and was “calling for help” when he fell off the stage.
McKellen was hospitalized for three days after the fall, and his injuries forced him to exit the show early. He is currently recovering while in a neck brace.
The “Mr. Holmes” alum also confirmed that his character has continued to be played by his understudy David Semark.
An audience member told the BBC that the incident was “very shocking.”
Richard Coyle, Sir Ian McKellen and Toheeb Jimoh bow at the curtain call during the press night performance of “Player Kings” at the Noel Coward Theatre. Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty Images Ian McKellen in a scene from “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.” AP
“As far as I saw, he was conscious because he was asking for assistance,” they noted.
In the aftermath of his injuries, McKellen took to social media to update fans on his recovery.
“Just two weeks after my accident onstage I want to assure my many well-wishers that the injuries (to wrist and neck) are on the mend,” McKellen shared on X (formerly Twitter) on July 2. “My doctors promise a complete recovery – but only if I avoid work over the next few weeks.”
He added, “Any actor will say that missing a performance feels somewhat shameful, even when he is not to blame. None of us ever wants to let down our audience. But Robert Icke’s masterful production remains intact. His mis en scene is compelling throughout and his actors, led by Toheeb Jimho and Richard Coyle as Prince Hal and his father, remain on top form. Go see for yourself!”
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