"Ian McKellen’s Fat Suit Turns Superhero, Saves Sir Gandalf from Stage-Diving Disaster!"
(Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Sir Ian McKellen, the legendary 85-year-old actor, took an unexpected stage dive during a performance in June, proving that even Shakespeare’s finest can find themselves in a comedy of errors. But in this real-life drama, it wasn’t a magic staff or Elvish ring that saved the day—it was McKellen’s trusty fat suit.
Starring as the rotund Falstaff in *Player Kings* at London’s Noël Coward Theatre, McKellen was two months into the role when a fight scene went awry. With the grace of a seasoned skateboarder hitting an unexpected patch of banana peel, his foot tangled in a chair, and he began to slide on some rogue newspaper, ultimately landing in the lap of an astonished audience member. It was less of a dramatic flourish and more of a 'fall-staff.'
“I’ve relived that fall I don’t know how many times. It was horrible,” McKellen confessed, probably wishing for a rewind button on life. Yet, the fat suit came to the rescue, cushioning his ribs and joints from what could have been a much grimmer outcome. Unfortunately, his chipped vertebrae and fractured wrist didn’t escape unscathed, leaving him in "agonising pain" and nervous about leaving the house for fear of an accidental bump from an overly enthusiastic fan.
Despite the harrowing experience, McKellen remains defiant, declaring it was just a “bloody accident” and not a sign that he's “too old to act.” Though still in a neck brace and with his hand splinted, he expressed a desire to return to the production, showing that you can’t keep a good wizard—or knight—down for long.
For now, McKellen is focusing on healing and might be secretly plotting his comeback, with or without the fat suit. In the meantime, understudy David Semark has stepped into Falstaff’s large shoes, but there's no replacing the original.