Veteran Hollywood actor Ian McKellen was taken to the hospital following a fall from the stage at the Noel Coward Theatre in the West End of London. According to BBC, McKellen lost his balance during a battle sequence. The evening performance was canceled and the audience had to evacuate the theater.
Ian McKellen thanks medical staff for treating him after his fall
The theater’s representative stated that McKellen, who is 85 years old, is in high spirits and would recover fully and quickly. Ian McKellen told Deadline in a statement that he is hugely indebted to the UK National Health Service’s medical staff for treating him after he fell off the stage.
McKellen says he looks forward to returning to work
McKellen updated fans regarding his recovery saying, “Doctors have assured me that my recovery will be complete and speedy and I am looking forward to returning to work.” On Monday, McKellen was sent to a Paddington hospital where he received medical attention for a wrist fracture.
According to a representative for the production, Tuesday’s performance was officially canceled and the shows will resume on Thursday. The spokesperson stated, “Ian is recovering nicely, and [we] look forward to him returning to the production as soon as he is ready. We’ll keep the audience informed about the remaining performances this week.”
McKellen’s work credits
In the stage adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Parts One and Two, McKellen portrays John Falstaff in Player Kings. McKellen has performed in several Shakespearean shows, with roles like Macbeth, King Lear, Richard II, Coriolanus, Iago, and Richard III.
This year, he portrayed Hamlet in another film adaption directed by Sean Mathias. Furthermore, McKellen is widely recognized for his roles as Magneto in the X-Men films and Gandalf in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
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