The actor was performing in William Shakespeare’s two plays about Henry IV in London when he tripped and fell off the stage.
British actor Ian McKellen, 85, will not reprise the role of John Falstaff on tour after falling off a London stage mid-performance last month, the play’s producers announced Monday. McKellen starred in Player Kings, a production of William Shakespeare’s two Henry IV plays in the capital’s West End theatre district on June 17 when he tripped and fell off stage during a fight scene.
The Shakespearean actor, who made his debut in 1961 and notably played Richard III, Le Roi Lear et Macbeth, is internationally known for playing Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings et The Hobbit of Peter Jackson or his role as Magneto in the films X-Men, was taken to hospital. “Two weeks after my accident on stage, my injuries are improving day by day, he said in a statement. It was with great reluctance that I agreed to follow medical advice not to work while I fully recovered.”
David Semark, McKellen’s understudy who took over for the London performances, will continue the tour, which will take in Bristol, Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle, the producers said.