Sir Ian McKellen felt ‘ashamed’ and ’emotional’ after stage fall
Sir Ian McKellen has said he felt “ashamed” and “emotional” after falling from a stage in the West End earlier this year – and that it has made him “aware there isn’t much time left”.
Star of stage and screen, including portraying Gandalf in the Lord Of The Rings series, the British acting legend suffered a chipped vertebra and fractured wrist during a performance of Player Kings in London in June.
In August, he said the fact he had been wearing a “fat suit” had “saved” his ribs.
Almost three months on from the incident, “everything is physically mended” and the 85-year-old is now “mobile, pain free and ready to go”, he told Sky News in a new interview.
Ian McKellen stars in The Critic. All pics: The Critic/True Brit Entertainment
However, he admitted he is still “having to deal with it emotionally”.
“I felt ashamed of myself, I felt I let the audience down and I felt guilty,” Sir Ian said.
The actor had been playing Sir John Falstaff – one of Shakespeare’s most famous creations – in the modern reworking of Henry IV, parts one and two, when the incident occurred.
Despite being fit again, he said he was allowing himself “a bit of a rest” before he gets back to work.
“I’m just aware there isn’t much time left and so I’m giving myself three months off instead of six months, I don’t need six months,” he said.
But fans will still get to see Sir Ian on screen in his new film, The Critic, in which he plays a powerful London theatre reviewer in the 1930s who lures a struggling actress, played by Gemma Arterton, into a blackmail scheme.
The veteran actor stars alongside Gemma Arterton in The Critic
Promoting the film, he admitted, has meant fielding countless questions on his health.
“There was such a hoo-ha in the press, it was as if I’d died and I was reading my own obituaries! I must say there were some very nice ones but it wasn’t as bad as it sounded,” he insisted.
Alfred Enoch also stars in the film
While Sir Ian plays a ruthlessly catty critic in the film, in real life he said he has actually confronted one or two journalists who have dared question his artistic methods.
“I’ve nothing bad to say about critics and occasionally when I have done I’ve said it to their face… to no effect, of course,” he said. “And invariably they say, ‘you’re absolutely right, I was wrong’, and so I say: ‘Print that in your damn newspaper!'”
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
While the beloved actor will be taking a little break for now, with news of new Lord Of The Rings films in the works, fans hopefully won’t have to be without a certain wizard leader when the franchise returns.
“I’m told Gandalf’s involved but I’m not yet told how much he’s going to be paid or how much he gets to say, so I think we’ll leave it there,” he laughed.
Audiences will no doubt just be relieved to hear he’ll be back on screen soon.
The Critic is out in cinemas on 13 September
Entertainment
Snoop Dogg becomes co-owner and investor of Swansea football club saying it’s ‘an underdog just like me’
Police are taking no further action over Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury.
Officers said they had investigated “comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecap’s performance” at the festival on 28 June.
However, after Crown Prosecution Service advice, they decided there is not enough evidence “to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.
The Avon & Somerset force started investigating the Irish group’s show last month, as well as comments by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.
It said they were looking at a possible public order incident.
Police said on Friday that the investigation into Bob Vylan’s performance was ongoing.
The London duo were widely criticised – and caused a BBC crisis – after leading on-stage chants of “death to the IDF” (Israel Defence Forces).
Kneecap’s Liam Og O Hannaidh appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June. Pic: PA
Kneecap posted a photograph on Instagram, which the group said was an email from police announcing the case was being dropped.
They said their packed Glastonbury gig was a “celebration of love and solidarity” and reporting used “wildly misleading headlines”.
Fears over what Kneecap might do or say during the performance had prompted the BBC not to show it live.
The group said: “Every single person who saw our set knew no law was broken, not even close… yet the police saw fit to publicly announce they were opening an investigation.”
“There is no public apology, they don’t send this to media or post it on police accounts,” they added.
The police statement on Friday said they had informed Kneecap of their decision to drop the case.
Read more from Sky News:
Snoop Dogg becomes a co-owner of Swansea FC
American Idol TV executive and husband shot dead
One of the group’s members appeared in court in June charged with a terror offence.
Liam Og O hAnnaidh is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year.
He was released on unconditional bail ahead of a second court appearance in August.
Entertainment
Tomorrowland: ‘Devastating’ blaze destroys main stage at major festival – two days before it was due to begin
A huge fire has destroyed the main stage of a major festival in Belgium – two days before it was due to begin.
Tomorrowland is a dance music event as big as Glastonbury – and David Guetta was due to perform.
Footage showed flames and thick plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday.
The fire gutted the main stage
Fire crews attempt to bring the blaze under control
The annual festival in the town of Boom, north of Brussels, is one of the biggest in Europe and attracts about 400,000 people over two consecutive weekends.
It is famous for its immersive and elaborate designs and attracts big names within dance music – including Guetta, best known for tracks When Love Takes Over and Titanium.
Dutch DJs Martin Garrix and Charlotte de Witte were also due to perform, along with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz and Alok.
Black smoke could be seen rising into the sky
The festival’s website described the creative elements which went into the elaborate main stage.
The theme, described as Orbyz, was “set in a magical universe made entirely out of ice” and “full of mythical creatures”.
Read more from Sky News:
Ticketless Oasis fans blocked from gig
American Idol executive shot dead
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
Organisers said no one was injured in the blaze but confirmed “our beloved main stage has been severely damaged”, adding they were “devastated”.
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen added: “We received some truly terrible news today. A fire broke out on the Tomorrowland site … and our main stage was essentially destroyed there, which is truly awful.
“That’s a stage that took years to build, with so much love and passion. So I think a lot of people are devastated.”
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told reporters ‘a lot of people are devastated’
Despite the fire, Tomorrowland organisers said they were still expecting 38,000 festivalgoers at DreamVille, the event’s campsite.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike