Sir Ian McKellen has pulled out of the Toronto premiere of his latest film, The Christophers, after medical advisers told him he should not fly, the actor said in a pre-recorded appearance at the Toronto Film Festival.
McKellen, 86, said his doctors had warned against travel and added, "Better safe than sorry." The Christophers, a black comedy directed by Steven Soderbergh, was screened at the festival without the actor in attendance; McKellen filmed his scenes in February, his first work since a serious stage fall in the West End last year.
The film follows the estranged children of a once-famous artist who hire a forger to complete his unfinished works so they can be discovered and sold after his death. The cast includes Michaela Coel, James Corden and Jessica Gunning. The script was written by Ed Solomon, a frequent collaborator of Soderbergh’s, who worked with the director on projects including the 2021 crime thriller No Sudden Move, the Max miniseries Full Circle, HBO’s Mosaic and Bill & Ted Face the Music.
McKellen’s withdrawal from the international premiere comes a year after a widely reported onstage accident in June, when he fell from the front of the stage during a performance of Player Kings at the Noel Coward Theatre. He was hospitalized with a chipped vertebra and a fractured wrist and was forced to pull out of the remainder of the run.
Following the fall, McKellen posted updates to social media, telling supporters that his injuries were "on the mend" and that his doctors had promised a complete recovery provided he avoided work for a period. He described missing performances as "somewhat shameful" for an actor but said he was receiving physiotherapy, doing light exercise and taking essential rest at home.
In the months after the accident he made public appearances, including surprising the cast of Player Kings in Newcastle and a brief, unscheduled appearance in a pantomime production of Robin Hood at the London Palladium in December. His filming for The Christophers in February marked his return to screen work.
Festival organisers proceeded with the film’s Toronto screening without McKellen, with the producer and cast present for other promotional activities. The Christophers represents a relatively quick turnaround from production to premiere, with principal photography on McKellen’s scenes completed earlier this year.
McKellen’s stage and screen career has spanned more than six decades, encompassing classical theatre, film and television. The actor’s decision to follow medical advice and avoid flying underscores the continued attention to his health and recovery since last year’s accident. Festival attendees and colleagues noted his recorded remarks expressing caution and gratitude for medical guidance, but there was no further comment from the actor’s representatives about future travel or performance plans.