Ian McKellen said he has been afraid to leave his home for fear of sustaining further injury after a stage fall in June in his first public remarks since he tripped during a performance and fell into the front row of the audience.
“I avoid going out because I’m nervous someone might bump into me, and I’ve been dealing with agonizing pain in my shoulders due to the jolt my body took,” McKellen said in an interview with Saga Magazine.
McKellen, 85, a star of the “Lord of the Rings” franchise, said his injuries were still healing after the fall chipped his vertebrae and fractured his wrist. He had been playing John Falstaff in "Player Kings," a production of William Shakespeare's "Henry IV, Parts One and Two."
“I’ve relived that fall countless times. It was horrible,” McKellen told the magazine. “I thought it was the end of something. It was very upsetting."
Although the injury ended his portrayal of Falstaff, McKellen said he considered himself fortunate that a costume piece for the role — a padded suit — cushioned his landing.
“The fat suit I wore for Falstaff saved my ribs and other joints, so I consider myself lucky," he said.
After he was hospitalized, spokespeople for McKellen said doctors expected him to "make a speedy and full recovery."
McKellen had continued his prolific acting career before the fall, recently appearing as Hamlet in a modern rendition of the tale. But he admitted that the accident has made him question his age.
“I have to keep telling myself I’m not too old to act,” he said. “It was just a bloody accident. I didn’t lose consciousness, I hadn’t been dizzy, but I’ve not been able to return to the stage, and they’ve continued without me.”
