Summary
ActorIan McKellenhas opened up about how wearing a fat suit saved him during his stage fall, while also candidly addressing the future of his career following the injuries he sustained. During a West End performance ofPlayer Kingsin June, the actor - best known for his role as Gandalf inTheLord of the Ringsmovies- fell off the stage. He wound up chipping one of his vertebrae and fracturing his wrist among other injuries. He has yet to perform since then, as he continues to recover from the accident at home.
Speaking withSaga Magazine(viaThe Standard) about his injuries,McKellen credited his fat suit to saving his life, keeping his injuries from being any worse than they are. However, the actor also admitted to a fear of leaving home after what transpired, while he also battles his mentality about his age and potential future roles. Check out what McKellen had to say below:
My chipped vertebrae and fractured wrist are not yet 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. 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.
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. I have to keep telling myself I’m not too old to act. 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.
Why Ian McKellen Will Likely Continue Acting After He’s Healed
The Prolific Actor Can Still Make A Return
Despite falling just two months ago, the actor already appears to be slowly healing, even though his body will need more time to process the injuries he sustained. However,McKellen is clearly discouraged by the incident, trying to assure himself that, despite no longer starring inPlayer Kings, he still has acting roles ahead of him. Since his age wasn’t the reason for his accident, though, it seems his fears of being too old to continue his career are unfounded, especially given the number of iconic roles he’s already played despite his age.
McKellen’s best movieswere made after the actor had turned 65, with his roles as Magneto in theX-Menfilms and Gandalf inThe Lord of the Ringsbeing among his most well-known. Despite his Hollywood stardom, though,he’s maintained roles in theatre as well, having performed onstage for 10 different plays since 2016. This is while also maintaining a prolific film career, with 2023 seeing him star in the short filmThe One Note Man, as well as the TIFF debut forThe Critic, a forthcoming thriller.
Why Ian McKellen Almost Quit The Hobbit (& Acting In General)
Sir Ian McKellen is synonymous with Gandalf, but a bad experience on the set of The Hobbit almost caused him to quit acting altogether.
Although the injury is no doubt discouraging for the actor,McKellen’s career just beforehand shows how he’s not too old to keep going once he’s healed up.The actor’s talent and ability to juggle multiple projects across various mediums shows he doesn’t need to be defined by his injury once he’s better. While he’s still some ways away from returning to the screen and the stage, his determination to come back despite his current physical and mental battle means another role could be right around the corner for him.
McKellen’s next movie,The Critic, arrives in the US and UK on July 10, 2025.
