FILE – Actor Sir Ian McKellen speaks during the press conference for the film “Mr. Holmes” at the 2015 Berlinale Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)
Veteran actor Ian McKellen was rushed to the hospital after falling off stage during a performance of “Player Kings” in London on Monday, June 17 (GMT).
According to BBC’s report, the “Lord of the Rings” actor was in a fight scene, lost his footing, and was said to have cried out in pain as he called for help.
A spokesperson for the theater shared that the audience was evacuated from the theater following the accident. Tuesday evening’s performance had also been canceled as McKellen had been advised to rest.
Despite the fall, the representative said in a statement that the 85-year-old actor underwent the necessary scan, is expected to “make a speedy and full recovery,” and is set to appear at his next performance on Wednesday.
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Meanwhile, audience members who got to witness the award-winning actor’s fall detailed their experience on X (formerly Twitter).
“Audience shocked by Sir Ian McKellen’s fall off stage tonight at Noel Coward theatre. Staff working hard to help him. Thoughts with him, cast, and crew,” Paul Nero, a writer and broadcaster, wrote on X.
“Shocking to watch, it was a terrible fall. Hoping he is not badly injured, he seemed to be in great pain,” said another X user.
McKellen was famously known for his role as Gandalf in “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit.” He is regarded as a British cultural icon and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991.
With a career spanning more than sixty years in theater, television, and film, his other memorable roles include titular King in “Richard III (1995) and Magneto in the “X-Men” films. McKellen came out as gay in 1988 and has been a long advocate for LGBTQ+ social movements.
“Player Kings” is a production of Shakespeare’s Henry IV Parts I and II and is expected to run in the West End at the Noël Coward Theatre for 12 weeks.