Ian McKellen Will Not Return To ‘Player Kings’ In West End Following Fall

Dave Benett/Getty Images for The Wolseley Hospitality Group

Ian McKellen will not feature in the final three performances of Player Kings in London’s West End after his fall.

The Lord of the Rings acting icon fractured his wrist and sustained other injuries after falling from the stage on Monday night.

A statement from the Noel Coward Theatre said that David Semark will replace McKellen – who plays John Falstaff – for the final three performancs, while McKellen “recuperates.”

It said McKellen will return when the production begins a national tour in two weeks’ time.

Tuesday night’s performance of Player Kings was canceled following McKellen’s fall, which had the audience worried.

McKellen then exclusively told Deadline: “Doctors have assured  me that my recovery will be complete and speedy and I am looking forward to returning to work.”

With a career spanning more than six decades, the 85-year-old McKellen has received a Tony Award, six Olivier Awards, a Golden Globe, five BAFTA Awards, five Emmys and two Oscar nominations. A British cultural icon, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991, and most famously played Gandalf in Lord of the Rings.