The Pain Persists as I Remind Myself I’m Not Too Old to Act

Ian McKellen recently shared with Saga Magazine that he endured “agonizing” pain following a fall in June during a performance of “Player Kings” at the Noel Coward Theatre in London. While portraying John Falstaff, McKellen tripped on a newspaper and tumbled into the front row, resulting in a chipped vertebra and a fractured wrist. These injuries are still not fully healed.

“I avoid going out because I’m nervous someone might bump into me, and I’ve been dealing with agonizing pain in my shoulders due to the jolt my body took,” McKellen said. “But the fat suit I wore for Falstaff saved my ribs and other joints, so I consider myself lucky.”

“I’ve relived that fall countless times. It was horrible,” he continued. “I thought it was the end of something. It was very upsetting. The end didn’t mean my death, but it felt like the end of my participation in the play.”

The actor’s role in “Player Kings” indeed concluded after the fall. Initially, McKellen had expressed a desire to return to the production. However, he subsequently withdrew due to the severity of his injuries. He extended heartfelt thanks to the nurses and doctors who provided him care, stating he was “hugely indebted” to them.

“I have to keep telling myself I’m not too old to act,” McKellen told Saga Magazine. “It was just a bloody accident. I didn’t lose consciousness, I hadn’t been dizzy, but I’ve not been able to return to the stage, and they’ve continued without me.”

Following McKellen’s hospitalization, a representative for the theater announced that the 85-year-old would “make a speedy and full recovery.” “Player Kings,” a production of William Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Parts One and Two,” commenced its 12-week run on the West End in April.