The Lord of the Rings star Ian McKellen on Wednesday assured his return to stage shows following an accident during a performance of Player Kings at a London theatre.
“I want to thank everyone for their kind messages and support. Since the accident, during a performance of Player Kings last night, my injuries have been diagnosed and treated by a series of experts, specialists and nurses working for the National Health Service,” the veteran thespian and Hollywood actor wrote on X.
Expressing how he is indebted to the medical experts for their help, McKellen added, “They have assured me that my recovery will be complete and speedy and I am looking forward to returning to work.”
The incident took place while McKellen was pulling off a battle scene on Monday night. The performance was then cancelled alongwith Tuesday’s show.
McKellen, known for playing Charles Xavier and Gandalf in X-Men and The Lord of the Rings, respectively, is starring in Player Kings, an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s two Henry IV plays by Robert Icke.
The 85-year-old actor plays John Falstaff, a comedic figure who appears in Henry IV Part 1 and 2, The Merry Wives of Windsor and Henry V. The play was initially scheduled to take place over the course of 12 weeks at London’s West End.
According to a statement by the producers of the play, the doctors at Britain’s National Health Service said that McKellen would “make a speedy and full recovery”.
McKellen is the recipient of a Tony, a Golden Globe and multiple Laurence Olivier Awards. Over the years, he has also been nominated for two Academy Awards for his performances in Gods and Monsters (1999) and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).
Throughout his career spanning six decades, McKellen has often returned to the stage for Shakespeare plays, including King Lear and Hamlet in recent years. Sean Matthias’ 2021 stage production of Hamlet was recently adapted into a movie by the filmmaker, which also starred McKellen in the lead role.
