Ian McKellen Says He Injured His Neck and Wrist During Onstage Fall: 'My Doctors Promise a Complete Recovery'

Sir Ian McKellen is updating fans connected his information aft taking a fall onstage successful London past month during a show of Player Kings. 

On Tuesday, the 85-year-old histrion took to X (formerly Twitter) to item his betterment from the incident, which happened connected June 17 arsenic helium was starring as John Falstaff successful the adaptation of parts 1 and 2 of Henry IV. According to the BBC, he fell disconnected the beforehand of the signifier and cried retired for help. 

"Just 2 weeks aft my mishap onstage I privation to guarantee my galore well-wishers that the injuries (to wrist and neck) are connected the mend," McKellen wrote successful his societal media update. "My doctors committedness a implicit betterment -but lone if I debar enactment implicit the adjacent fewer weeks."

Doctor's bid mean the Lord of the Rings prima volition not beryllium capable to instrumentality the amusement connected the roadworthy -- literally. On Monday, producers of Player Kings confirmed that McKellen would not beryllium backmost for the nationalist circuit of the show. 

Continuing his post, the Tony and Olivier Award-winning histrion addressed his lack from the tour, advising fans to inactive spell spot the accumulation arsenic they circuit England. The expedition kicks disconnected successful Bristol connected July 3 and wraps successful Newcastle, England, connected July 27. 

"Meanwhile the amusement goes connected and the Player Kings institution commencement their 4 weeks' circuit without me. My understudy David Semark, who with panache took implicit for the last performances astatine the Noël Coward Theatre successful the West End of London, volition play Falstaff again successful Bristol, Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle," McKellen shared. 

After the incident, accumulation was halted for respective days earlier resuming connected June 20 with David Semark successful McKellen's role. Producers shared Semark would beryllium filling successful indefinitely arsenic the Mr. Holmes prima "recuperates pursuing his fall."

At the extremity of his station connected Tuesday, McKellen acknowledged a feeling of discomfort successful letting down assemblage members who turned retired specifically to spot him successful the role. He inactive says that portion it's surely not the result helium hoped for, the accumulation is conscionable arsenic bully arsenic ever. 

"Any histrion volition accidental that missing a show feels somewhat shameful, adjacent erstwhile helium is not to blame. None of america ever wants to fto down our audience. But Robert Icke's masterful accumulation remains intact. His mis en country is compelling passim and his actors, led by Toheeb Jimho and Richard Coyle arsenic Prince Hal and his father, stay connected apical form," McKellen wrote. "Go spot for yourself!"

Days aft his fall, ET spoke to Veronika Muzika -- an assemblage subordinate wrong the  Noël Coward Theatre to watch Player Kings during the incidental -- and she said astatine archetypal she thought McKellen's mishap was portion of the play.

"So helium fell down the orchestra pit conscionable successful beforehand of our eyes and helium was screaming thing like, 'Help,' and I thought it was portion of the play due to the fact that determination were a batch of wounded people, like, you know, it's a warfare act, and yeah, it was rather shocking," she recalled.

She continued: "He seemed similar helium was moving beauteous OK done the signifier arsenic normal. I didn't spot immoderate benignant of tripping. Maybe determination was immoderate slippery benignant of cloth oregon thing and it indispensable person been thing really, truly tiny due to the fact that helium was acting and walking people until the past measurement erstwhile helium really fell and that's wherefore I thought it was staged."

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