LONDON – Actor Ian McKellen is expected to make a full recovery after falling from a stage in London on Monday during a fight scene and being hospitalized, a spokesman said.
McKellen, 85, was in “good spirits” after doctors said a scan showed he was expected to make a full recovery from the fall, a spokesman for the Noel Coward Theater said.
The stage and screen veteran known for playing Gandalf in the “Lord of the Rings” films and many stage roles over a six-decade career screamed in pain after the fall, according to a BBC journalist at the theater.
McKellen played John Falstaff in “Player Kings”, a production of Henry IV, parts one and two, adapted and directed by Robert Icke, at the Noel Coward Theatre.
He lost his balance and fell off the stage in a scene with the Prince of Wales and Henry Percy. The fall scared spectators.
“Sir Ian appeared to stumble as he came down from the stage to take a more active role in the scene,” audience member Paul Critchley told the PA news agency, saying it came as a shock. “He gained momentum as he stepped off the stage, which resulted in him falling off the stage right in front of the audience.”
The staff and two doctors present helped the ailing actor, the spokesperson said.
The theater was evacuated and the play cancelled. Tuesday’s production was also canceled to give McKellen time to rest.
McKellen’s career includes playing Magneto in the X-Men films and several Shakespearean characters, including Richard II, Macbeth and King Lear.
He won a Tony Award for “Amadeus,” several Laurence Olivier Awards and was nominated for two Oscars and several BAFTA Awards.
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