Ian McKellen Hospitalized After Falling Off Stage During London Performance

Sir Ian McKellen, renowned for playing Magneto in “X-Men” and Gandalf in “The Lord of the Rings” film series, is recovering after falling off stage during a performance at the Noël Coward Theatre in London’s West End on Monday evening.

“Since the accident, during a performance of ‘Player Kings’ last night, my injuries have been diagnosed and treated by a series of experts, specialists, and nurses working for the National Health Service,” Sir McKellen said in a statement sent to The Epoch Times via email by the actor’s publicist, Clair Dobbs.

“To them, of course, I am hugely indebted. They have assured me that my recovery will be complete and speedy, and I am looking forward to returning to work,” he added, sharing a message of thanks for the public’s “kind messages and support.”

Mr. Johnson said Sir McKellen, 85, “sort of dove head first” and landed on an audience member, causing the actor to cry out in agony.

“Within seconds, he was screaming; he was screaming, ‘Help me, my arm. Help me,’ in a way that I’ve sort of never heard anyone say before,” Mr. Johnson continued. “So it was, it was difficult obviously to hear that and to hear it happen and see it happen to such a fantastic person.”

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According to Mr. Johnson, theatergoers seated in the first two rows of the auditorium were quickly ushered out of the theater. “Within 30 seconds, the rest of the auditorium was emptied,” he recalled.

Mr. Johnson said he did not see Sir McKellen exit the theater, but was told that an ambulance was en route to take him to the hospital. “It was quite busy on the street at the main entrance; I think he was whisked away at the back,” he said.

‘Player Kings’

Sir McKellen portrays the character Sir John Falstaff in Robert Icke’s adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2.”

Actors Toheeb Jimoh, known for his role in “Ted Lasso,” and Richard Coyle, star of the British sitcom “Coupling” and the 2022 film “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” also star in the production, with Mr. Coyle playing King Henry IV.

“Player Kings” debuted on April 1, with performances scheduled through June 22. However, a series of statements on X on June 18 revealed that two upcoming performances had been canceled to give Sir McKellen time to recover.

In a subsequent message on X, the account for “Player Kings” wrote that the performance slated for June 19 had also been canceled.

In 1993, he portrayed Geoffrey in the comedy-drama film “Six Degrees of Separation,” starring Will Smith, Donald Sutherland, and J. J. Abrams, before launching his long-running roles as Magneto in 2000’s “X-Men” and Gandalf in 2001’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.”

Sir McKellen has won numerous accolades for his work on screen, including the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2002 and 2004 for his “The Lord of the Rings” performances and a Golden Globe in 1997 for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for the 1996 telefilm “Rasputin.”

He also earned two Tony Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play—the first of which he won in 1981 for his portrayal of Antonio Salieri in the 1980 musical “Amadeus,” followed by the second, in 1984, for his performance in “Ian McKellen: Acting Shakespeare.”