Actor Ian McKellen, 85, recovering after falling off London stage
LONDON – British actor Ian McKellen fell off a London stage mid-performance and is now recovering after being taken to hospital, a theatre spokesperson told the BBC on June 18.
McKellen, 85, is starring as John Falstaff in Player Kings, a production of English playwright William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Parts One And Two, in the British capital’s West End theatre district.
In a fight scene during the performance on June 17 evening, McKellen lost his footing and fell off the front of the stage, crying out as staff rushed to help, the BBC reported.
“Following a scan, the NHS (National Health Service) team have assured us that he will make a speedy and full recovery and Ian is in good spirits,” the theatre spokesperson said on June 18.
“The production has made the decision to cancel the performance on Tuesday June 18, so Ian can rest.”
The actor is expected to return to the stage on June 19.
McKellen is best known for playing the wizard Gandalf in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy (2001 to 2003) and The Hobbit trilogy (2012 to 2014), as well as the mutant Magneto in the X-Men movies (2000 to 2020).
His stage career stretches back to 1961, and his credits include playing Richard III, King Lear and Macbeth. REUTERS, AFP
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