Ian McKellen reveals he will ‘take the rest of the year off’

Ian McKellen chatted to BBC Breakfast about his future, folowing his dramatic fall from the stage at the Noël Coward Theatre earlier this year.

Discussing his upcoming film The Critic, in which he plays a jaded theatre reviewer embroiled in a major scandal, McKellen revealed that he has no plans to retire, saying: “I shall just keep at it as long as the legs and the lungs and the mind keep working.” According to a previous interview, McKellen is still recovering from the incident, which saw him fall into the audience during a climactic battle scene.

McKellen does, however, intend to take the remainder of 2024 off – which, for an actor that always seems to have a project on the horizon, seems like a lengthy absence.

He also discussed the possibility of returning to the role of benevolent Middle Earth wizard Gandalf in the future, as rumours swirl of a new film set during the hunt for the enigmatic villain Gollum. He enthusiastically said he’d be involved if at all possible, adding: “I’m not letting anyone else put on the pointy hat and beard if I can help it.”

Despite McKellen’s claim, there are rumours that there may be a young Gandalf figure in the ongoing Amazon series The Rings of Power, without wanting to spoil any details.

The Critic, also starring Alfred Enoch and Gemma Arterton, hits cinemas next week in the UK.