Sir Ian McKellen has reflected on the “ever present” nature of death two years after suffering a fall from the stage during a performance in London’s West End.
The 86-year-old actor sustained wrist and neck injuries when he lost his footing during a fight scene in Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre in June 2024. The performance was promptly cancelled, and despite hopes of returning to the stage, he later withdrew on medical advice.
In an interview with The Times, McKellen said: “I have accepted that I’m not immortal. Yet I still function. And really the inevitability of mortality comes not just from what you are feeling about yourself, but the simple fact that your friends die – all the time.” He added that death becomes “ever present” as one grows older.
Speaking about the psychological impact of the accident, McKellen told Saga magazine he had relived the fall “I don’t know how many times” and felt “such shame” for letting down the production. He said: “I have to keep assuring myself that I’m not too old to act and it was just a bloody accident.”
The actor, who is promoting the virtual reality production An Ark in the Shed, said he still had “more to do” in life. He is due to reprise the role of Gandalf in the forthcoming Lord of the Rings film The Hunt for Gollum, which begins shooting in New Zealand in July.
