NY.– Actor Ian McKellen fell from a London stage during a fight scene and was hospitalized. He is expected to make a full recovery.
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, cried in pain after the fall, according to a BBC journalist in 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 startled onlookers.
“Sir Ian appeared to stumble as he came off the stage to take a more active part in the scene. He gained momentum as he moved down the stage, which resulted in him falling off the stage directly in front of the audience,” the member said. audience member Paul Critchley told the PA news agency, saying it was a shock.
Staff and two doctors in the audience helped the actor, the spokesperson said.
The theater was evacuated and the performance was cancelled. Tuesday’s performance was also canceled to give McKellen time to rest.
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 actor has won the Tony Award for Amadeus, has received several Laurence Olivier Awards and has been nominated for two Oscars and several BAFTA Awards.
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