Sir Ian McKellen 'felt ashamed' after stage fall: 'I let the audience down'

Sir Ian McKellen is on the mend after a harrowing fall during a live performance, but the emotional toll lingers.

The 85-year-old acting legend, best known for his roles as Gandalf and Magneto, was hospitalised on June 17 following an accident during a production of Henry IV called Player Kings at London's Noël Coward Theatre. The fall, which occurred during a fight scene, resulted in a chipped vertebra and a fractured wrist.

Reflecting on the aftermath of the fall while speaking to Sky News, McKellen assured that he’s now “mobile, pain-free, and ready to go.”

However, the emotional impact of the incident remains as he admitted, "I felt ashamed of myself, I felt I let the audience down, and I felt guilty.”

While McKellen had initially planned to step away from Player Kings permanently, he opted instead for a brief rest, saying, "I'm just aware there isn't much time left, so I'm giving myself three months off instead of six."

Even as he recovers, McKellen remains busy promoting his latest film, The Critic, and has had to frequently address his injury in the media.

"There was such a hoo-ha in the press, it was as if I'd died and I was reading my own obituaries!” he joked, adding that while some reports were exaggerated, “it wasn't as bad as it sounded."