Ian McKellen reflects on how much his life has changed since an accident in London’s West End in June that left him with fractured vertebrae and a broken wrist.
In an interview with Saga Magazine published on Tuesday, the 85-year-old film and stage actor revealed that he is wearing a neck brace and a splint on his right hand, two months after he fell off the stage during a production of “Player Kings,” an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Henry IV.”
“I’ve relived that fall countless times. It was horrific,” McKellen said.
“My shattered vertebrae and broken wrist have not healed yet,” added the “Lord of the Rings” actor. “I don’t go out because I’m afraid someone will bump into me and I have excruciating pain in my shoulders because my whole body has been shaken.”
McKellen had the help of his neighbours, whom he calls “beloved friends”, during his recovery at his London home, adding: “I couldn’t cope without them.”
The incident occurred during the evening performance of “Player Kings” on June 17, and producers canceled the show the next day “so that Ian could rest,” a statement provided to USA TODAY at the time said.
McKellen released his own statement the next day, thanking National Health Service staff. “They have assured me that my recovery will be full and speedy, and I look forward to returning to work,” he said.
Ian McKellen describes what led to his fall from the stage
The famous Shakespearean actor explained that while portraying Sir John Falstaff on stage, his foot caught on a chair. He tried to “shake it off” but slipped on the newspapers scattered on the stage “as if I were on a skateboard.”
“The more I tried to get rid of it, the faster I slid down a step, onto the proscenium stage and then onto the lap of someone in the front row,” McKellen explained. “I started screaming, ‘Help me!’ and then, ‘I’m sorry! I don’t do that!’ Extraordinary things. I thought this was the end of something. It was very disturbing. I didn’t lose consciousness (and) I didn’t feel dizzy.”
McKellen also revealed that his injuries could have been much worse: “For Falstaff, I wore a fat suit and it protected my ribs and other joints. So I was really lucky to get away with it.”
For him, the accident marked the end of “my participation in the play.”
“I have to keep reassuring myself that I’m not too old to act and that it was just a damn accident,” McKellen said. “I don’t feel guilty, but the accident has affected the whole production. I’m so ashamed. I was hoping to be able to return to the play on tour, but I couldn’t.”
Performances of “Player Kings” resumed, with McKellen’s understudy David Semark replacing him. He starred alongside Toheeb Jimoh (“Ted Lasso”), who played Hal, and Richard Coyle (“Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time”).
“It’s not done yet,” he said of the role of Falstaff. “There are suggestions to perform the piece again, but we’ll see.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ian McKellen is ‘nervous’ about his performance after falling off stage
