Acclaimed actor Ian McKellen was hospitalized following a reported fall suffered during an on-stage performance. According to BBC, the accident took place whilst McKellen was doing a performance of “Player Kings” at the Noël Coward Theater in London. Allegedly, the actor was participating in a fight scene when he lost his footing and fell off the front of the stage. The house lights came up, and McKellen called for help, at which point he was rushed to the hospital for treatment. As for now, no update has been made regarding the current condition of McKellen.
Sandro Trapani, who was present during the show when McKellen fell, said, “I really hope that he is going to be alright. As far as I saw, he was conscious because he was asking for assistance.”
According to the report, the audience was evacuated after McKellen’s fall, and an evening show, which was meant to run for 12 weeks, was canceled. The show, which started in April, features McKellen in the role of John Falstaff, making it the latest Shakespearean play to feature the actor. He’s also set to play Hamlet in a new movie.
This isn’t the first time McKellen got injured during his performance. Earlier, he was injured ahead of a King Lear show in 2019. He’d hurt his leg while rushing to board a train, though he still attended to entertain the audience as best he could.
Who is Ian McKellen?
Sir Ian McKellen is a renowned English actor with a career spanning more than sixty years. He is noted for his roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theater to popular fantasy and science fiction. This charismatic stage actor is often regarded as a British cultural icon and is a recipient of top honors, including a Tony Award, six Olivier Awards, and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, and five Emmy Awards.
McKellen achieved worldwide fame for his film roles, including the titular King in Richard III (1995), James Whale in Gods and Monsters (1998), Magneto in the X-Men films, and Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003) and The Hobbit (2012–2014) trilogies.
There are chances that fans might see McKellen reprising his role of Gandalf in the upcoming Lord of the Rings, as director Andy Serkis suggested that Gandalf could make an appearance with McKellen in the role. However, the 85-year-old actor joked that if producer Peter Jackson wants that to happen, then the new movie should be made sooner rather than later.
According to The Times, McKellen said that his Flagstaff role already has him looking like Gandalf. He said, “I haven’t shaved in months. There is no script, there is no offer, there is no plan. [But I might return] if I’m alive.”
