Sir Ian McKellen was hospitalized in the middle of a theatrical performance, according to a new report by the BBC on Monday, June 17. The X-Men star, 85, took a tumble while having a fight scene, which brought the show to an early close. It’s not clear if he had any serious injuries from the fall, but he was still taken to the hospital.
The outlet reported that Ian had “lost his footing and fell” during a fight scene for Henry IV at London’s Noël Coward theatre. The show’s both parts are being performed by the Player Kings in London’s West End for 12 weeks. Ian plays John Falstaff, and he reportedly fell off the front of the stage, as he began circling for a battle scene. The outlet said that he “cried out and staff rushed to help” after the fall.
After the fall, the patrons were evacuated from the theater, and they were told that the evening’s performance was canceled. An audience member explained that they believed that he was going to be okay in the long run. An insider told People that he was “fine” following the spill. “I really hope that he is going to be alright,” they told the outlet. “As far as I saw, he was conscious because he was asking for assistance.”
The play is at the tail end of its 12-week run, after beginning the show in April. Following the on-stage accident, a spokesperson for the theater said that Ian was expected to make a “speedy and full recovery,” and he was “in good spirits,” after the fall in a statement to The Guardian. After the tumble, a number of audience members shared their well-wishes for him.
Besides the theatrical production, Ian has at least one other definite project coming up. He’s set to make a voice appearance in the upcoming film Schadenfreude, which is in post-production, according to his IMDb page.