85-year-old acclaimed actor Sir Ian McKellen credited a fat suit he was wearing as his character, Sir John Falstaff, helped protect him from more serious injuries when he fell off stage in June in an interview with Saga magazine.
McKellen suffered injuries including a chipped vertebrae, fractured wrist, and ongoing shoulder, wrist, and neck issues after falling during a performance of "Player Kings" in London.
Following the accident, McKellen wore a neck brace and splint, and he avoided going out due to fear of further injury.
Sir Ian McKellen is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time, with two Oscar nominations and every major UK and US theatrical award. He has found mainstream success as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Magneto in the X-Men series, and in the film adaptation of Richard III. He has been actively supporting gay rights and came out publicly in 1988.
While initially concerned about the end of his acting career, he clarified that the incident was a temporary setback.
He expressed National Health Service workers who assisted him.
The production of "Player Kings" continued with McKellen's understudy, David Semark, taking over his role during the tour across multiple cities.
Despite his injuries, McKellen made a brave appearance at the final performance of the play in Newcastle.
His injuries are expected to heal completely with rest.
There is currently no offer or script for McKellen in the upcoming "Gollum" movie, which will be directed by Andy Serkis, and the producers announced that McKellen dropped out of the show on medical advice, with him currently wearing a neck and wrist brace.
Sources: Sky News, The Guardian, USA Today, Newsweek, HuffPost, The Sun, Yahoo News, De Telegraaf, Deadline, TMZ, Aceshowbiz, Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter, Perth Now, The Daily Beast, UInterview, Broadway World, AOL
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
