How Sir Ian McKellen's fat suit 'saved him' during horror stage fall

ok.co.uk:

Sir Ian McKellen has opened up about a terrifying fall he had on stage in the West End, revealing that his fat suit "saved" his "ribs and other joints".The 85 year old acting legend lost his footing during a Player Kings fight scene back in June at the Noel Coward Theatre, resulting in wrist and neck injuries.

Chatting to Saga magazine, he recalled: "I've relived that fall I don't know how many times. It was horrible." He explained: "It was in the battle scene.

My foot got caught in a chair, and trying to shake it off I started to slide on some newspaper that was scattered over the stage, like I was on a skateboard.The more I tried to get rid of it, the faster I proceeded down a step, onto the forestage, and then on to the lap of someone in the front row." In the heat of the moment, he cried out: "I started screaming, 'Help me! ' and then 'I'm sorry!

I don't do this! '. Extraordinary things. I thought it was the end of something. It was very upsetting." By "The end", he clarified, he didn't mean "my death.