British actor Ian McKellen, known for his role as the wizard Gandalf in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, fell on stage in London at the age of 85 on Monday evening, leading to the cancellation of the performance.
While playing the character of John Falstaff in the middle of a battle scene in the play “Player Kings,” an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Henry IV,” Ian McKellen lost his footing and fell off the stage, witnesses said to British media. They heard the actor scream in pain, then being attended to by staff at the Noël Coward Theater, and by an ambulance.
A specialist in Shakespeare, which he has played numerous times in the theater, Ian McKellen became a world star in the 2000s by playing Magneto, a mutant capable of manipulating metal in “X-Men”, then the magician in the long run. Gandalf beard, in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
A theater spokesperson said Ian McKellen was in “good morale” and that doctors who examined him assured him he would “make a full and speedy recovery.” This Tuesday’s performance was also canceled, but the actor, also known for his commitment to defending LGBT+ people in the United Kingdom, is expected to return to the stage on Wednesday.
