Ian McKellen has ‘no plans’ to retire from acting
Sir Ian McKellen has said he has no plans to retire from acting, and he does not want any other actor to play Gandalf in the forthcoming Lord of the Rings film.
The 85-year-old fell off stage in June whilst performing in Player Kings in London’s West End, breaking his wrist and chipping one of his vertebrae.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast about his desire to continue acting, Sir Ian said: “I shall just keep at it as long as the legs and the lungs and the mind keep working.”
But, the actor added, he is looking to “take the rest of the year off”.
Sir Ian famously played Gandalf in the hugely successful Lord of the Rings franchise, a new instalment of which, The Hunt for Gollum, is due to be released in 2026.
Discussing the possibility of appearing in the new film, Sir Ian commented: “I’m not letting anyone else put on the pointy hat and beard if I can help it.”
Sir Ian played Gandalf in the first three films and The Hobbit trilogy, all directed by New Zealand film-maker Peter Jackson.
A new batch of The Lord Of The Rings films is in the works with Andy Serkis directing and starring as Gollum.
“Enthusiasm for The Lord of the Rings shows no sign of abating,” Sir Ian said in a separate interview with the Big Issue.
“I can’t tell you any more than that. I’ve just been told there are going to be more films and Gandalf will be involved and they hope that I’ll be playing him.
“When? I don’t know. What the script is? It’s not written yet. So, they better be quick.”
‘Complete accident’
In June, the Oscar nominee lost his footing during a fight scene in Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre, and has since been suffering from wrist and neck injuries.
Sir Ian told the BBC his fall was a “complete accident” and had nothing to do with his age.
The actor explained his foot became caught in a chair on stage, and whilst trying to kick it away, he skidded off stage.
In another interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday, Sir Ian said he was physically OK, but added: “It’s emotionally that I’ve got some residue that I’ve got to deal with.
“I said to myself as I tripped and slid off the stage, ‘This is the end’. These were the words in my mind, ‘This is the end’.
“And apparently I shouted out, ‘my neck is broken, I’m dying’. I don’t remember saying that, so there was a lot going on in my head as the body responded to the fall.”
After his accident, Sir Ian took a break from acting and was replaced in Player Kings for the show’s UK tour.
Sir Ian told the Big Issue he had been “left feeling weak physically” and is doing exercise to treat the issue.
“Of course, it’s emotional,” he said. “We all trip all our lives, it’s just when you get to my age you can’t always get up again.”
He added: “I’m usually working or preparing to work, I’ve been doing a little bit of that, wondering what might be the best plan.
“I’m going to take the rest of the year off. Not because I need to, just because I want to.”
Sir Ian played John Falstaff in Player Kings – a production adapted by Robert Icke from Shakespeare’s Henry IV, parts one and two – and previously said the fat suit he wore for the role is believed to have saved his “ribs and other joints”.