A WOMAS has revealed the shocking moment Sir Ian McKellen fell off stage onto her as she “went into shock.”
The veteran screen and stage actor, 85, was performing at the Noel Coward Theatre when he lost his footing in a fight scene and fell into the front row where Johanna Dart, 30, was sitting.
She told the BBC: “Getting crushed by Gandalf the Grey, that’s something you don’t expect.”
She recalled how she “went into shock at the whole thing'” and had been enjoying the production until the “unforgettable encounter” with the acting legend.
Ms Dart, from Leatherhead in Surrey, said the actor appeared to “trip on this bit of prop” that was on the stage, before falling and landing head-first onto her knee.
She travelled home with her family but later got a taxi to hospital, where she spent the night.
Sir Ian was taken to hospital to receive treatment and the remainder of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday’s performances were cancelled to allow him to rest.
Sir Ian said he is having “physiotherapy, light exercise and a lot of essential rest at home” after three nights in hospital.
A statement sent on his behalf by his publicist Clair Dobbs said: “After three nights in hospital, the effects of my fall onstage have been fully analysed and I’m now having physiotherapy, light exercise and a lot of essential rest at home.
“Meanwhile, my part in Player Kings is filled by the redoubtable David Semark supported by Robert Icke’s amazing production and cast.
A post on the Player Kings X account today said: “David Semark will be playing the role of Sir John Falstaff for the final three scheduled performances of Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre in London while Ian McKellen recuperates following his fall on Monday 17 June.”
It added: “We look forward to Ian returning to the production, which begins a national tour in Bristol on Wednesday 3 July, before visiting Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle.”
WITH two Oscar nominations for his work on screen and the recipient of every major theatrical award in the UK and US, Sir Ian McKellen is widely considered to be one of the greatest actors of all time.
The 85-year-old has gripped audiences both on screen and on stage, receiving international acclaim and becoming a household name across the globe.
His largest mark on the big screen may be as Gandalf in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy.
But he also found mainstream success with his performances as Magneto in the X-Men series and as the title character in the film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Richard III.
On the stage, Sir Ian has been nominated for 12 Olivier Awards and won six for his roles in Pillars Of The Community, The Alchemist, Bent, Wild Honey, Richard III and his one-man show Ian McKellen On Stage.
The actor was born in Burnley, Lancashire, in 1939 and, alongside his sister Jean, was raised by his mother Margery and father Denis.
Sir Ian has often credited his parents for encouraging his interest in becoming a performer, previously claiming in a 2017 interview with the Irish Examiner: “Apparently she said, ‘If Ian decides to be an actor, it’s a good job, because it brings pleasure to people’.”
His mother died when he was just 12 and he would lose his father at the age of 22.
Sir Ian acted at all the schools he attended.
When at Bolton School he was able to take on his first Shakespeare performance at Hopefield Miniature Theatre when, as a 13-year-old Malvolio, he performed the letter scene from Twelfth Night.
He then won a scholarship to read English at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge and was soon appearing in regular productions, including appearing alongside now famous alumni such as Derek Jacobi, David Frost and Margaret Drabble.
By the time Sir Ian graduated in 1961 he had decided to become an actor, and landed his first job in a production of A Man For All Seasons at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry.
Since then, he has gone on to become a household name for his acclaimed performances in everything from Shakespearean tragedies to Hollywood blockbusters.
Very few people knew of his homosexuality at a young age, including his parents.
Outside of acting, Sir Ian has been active in the gay rights movement.
In 1988, he publicly came out on a BBC Radio 4 programme while discussing Margaret Thatcher’s Section 28 legislation, which made the promotion of homosexuality as a family relationship by local authorities an offence.
He said of the law: “I think it’s offensive to anyone who is, like myself, homosexual, apart from the whole business of what can or cannot be taught to children.”
Section 28 was eventually fully repealed in 2003.
Sir Ian has spoken about his experiences on coming out on several occasions.
Back in July 2000, he wrote in The Independent: “The only good thing I can think to say about Section 28 is that it finally encouraged me to come out. A bit late in the day, but it remains the best thing I ever did.”
Then in 2015, he said that coming out actually made him a better performer, saying: “What happened immediately, according to friends, is I became not just a happier person, but a better actor.”
Sir Ian, who now lives in Limehouse, is currently performing in Player Kings, a production of Henry IV, Parts One and Two, at the Noel Coward Theatre in London.
The final London performances are taking place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The Lord of the Rings franchise will continue with a new movie in 2026.
The latest installment will explore storylines from the books by author JRR Tolkien.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, 64, spoke about the fantasy franchise in an earnings call, according to Variety.
Director Peter Jackson, 62, who helmed the original live-action trilogy, will reunite with his writing partners, Fran Walsh, 65, and Philippa Boyens, 62.
David mentioned the trio “will be involved every step of the way” as they “explore storylines yet to be told.”
“Lord of the Rings is one of the most successful and revered franchises in history and presents a significant opportunity for theatrical business,” he added.
