Famed British actor Ian McKellen bowed out of a planned theater tour on Monday, saying he was following doctor's orders after he fell off a London stage last month.
"Two weeks after my accident onstage, my injuries improve day by day," McKellen said in a statement, according to Reuters. "It's that I have accepted the medical advice to protect my full recovery by not working in the meantime."
McKellen, 85, was playing the role of John Falstaff in "Player Kings," an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2," when he lost his footing and fell off the stage at the Noël Coward Theatre during a fight scene on June 17.
McKellen, best known for playing Gandalf in the film versions of the "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit," cried out for help following the tumble and was rushed to a hospital for emergency treatment.
He was replaced by understudy David Semark for the remainder of the play's 12-week run and the producers said Semark will continue the role for upcoming performances in Bristol, Birmingham, Norwich and Newcastle.
McKellen's stage career dates to 1961 and he's previously played the Shakespearean characters Richard III, King Lear and Macbeth.
The veteran actor won a 1981 Tony award for his performance in Broadway's "Amadeus" and was nominated for Oscars in 1999 and 2002.
