Actor Ian McKellen hospitalized after falling off stage at theater

Actor Ian McKellen, 85, who is best known for his role as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings franchise, was hospitalized after falling off stage at a London theater, the BBC reports.

The actor played the role of Falstaff in a new production based on the first and second parts of Shakespeare's play Henry IV at the Noel Coward Theater.

As the audience noted, the actor was acting out a fight scene when he fell off the stage and screamed in pain. According to eyewitnesses, the incident was "shocking", while the actor remained unconscious after the fall.

After the incident, the performance was interrupted, and all upcoming scheduled performances were cancelled.

The actor previously said in an interview that he does not rule out the possibility of returning to the role of Gandalf in the event of a reboot of the Lord of the Rings franchise, "if he lives" until filming.