Sir Ian McKellen Suffers On-Stage Fall During Player Kings Performance, Hospitalized but Expected to Make Full Recovery
Sir Ian McKellen was taken to the hospital after he fell off stage during a Player Kings performance at the Noël Coward Theater in London on Monday, June 17, evening.
McKellen, 85, was performing as John Falstaff in a production of Henry IV, Parts One and Two, which began its 12-week run on London’s West End in April when he reportedly lost his footing and fell during a fight scene. As the theater lights turned on, the audience heard him cry out loud, and the staff soon rushed to help.
The show was eventually canceled, and the crowd evacuated from the venue.
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“Thank you to our audience and the general public for their well wishes following Ian’s fall during this evening’s performance of Player Kings,” a rep for McKellen said in a statement. “Following a scan, the brilliant NHS team have assured us that he will make a speedy and full recovery, and Ian is in good spirits,” the statement noted.
The production, for now, has canceled the scheduled Tuesday, June 18 performance to give time for McKellen to rest and recuperate. A spokesperson for the theater also thanked doctors Rachel and Lee, who were “on hand in the audience,” and the staff at the venue for their support.
Sir Ian McKellen’s Legacy — A British Cultural Icon
In his enduring career spanning more than six decades, McKellen has received a Tony Award, six Olivier Awards, a Golden Globe, five BAFTA Awards, five Emmy Awards, and two Oscar nominations.
Besides his much-celebrated theater credits, he also has several on-screen credits to his name. He is best known for his role as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, and Magneto in the X-Men movies. Beauty and the Beast, The Da Vinci Code, and Mr Holmes have also embraced acting contributions from McKellen.
On the TV side of the business, the actor has appeared in 10 episodes of the ITV soap Coronation Street as the scheming romance author Mel Hutchwright.
Five years ago, McKellen had to cancel a King Lear showing at London’s Duke of York Theater after sustaining a leg injury while running to catch a train. He, however, entertained the audience by hosting a Q&A round while sitting on the stage.
In 1991, McKellen was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. He is set to star as Hamlet in a new film adaptation directed by Sean Mathias.