Legendary actor, 86, skips film festival over health concerns

Ian McKellen had miss his own movie premiere at a recent film festival because of his health.

McKellen, 86, did not attend the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of his film “The Christophers” on Sunday, Sept. 7.

The movie, directed by Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh, follows a forger (Michaela Coel) who was hired by the children of a painter (McKellen) to finish some of his work so they can have a larger inheritance.

In a pre-taped introduction, the Oscar nominee said his “medical advisers” told him he shouldn’t fly.

“Better safe than sorry,” McKellen said in the tape, according to Variety.

“If you enjoy it, will you tell your friends?” McKellen said. “That’s partly what festivals are about, isn’t it?”

The Emmy winner also noted that the last time he was in Toronto was while shooting “X-Men” in 1999. The action film saw McKellen originate the role of Magneto, a part he will reprise in the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday,” set for release in 2026.

McKellen’s absence comes more than a year after the “Lord Of The Rings” star was hospitalized after falling off stage while performing his play “Player Kings” in London.

McKellen was acting out a battle scene when he lost his footing onstage. He was brought to hospital and the play was canceled, the BBC reported at the time. McKellen later told Saga Magazine that he had chipped vertebrae and sustained a fractured wrist.

“It was horrible,” The Tony winner said while explaining how his foot got stuck in a chair and fell while trying to shake it off.

“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,” McKellen recalled. “I was hoping to be able to rejoin the play on the tour, but I couldn’t.”

During her appearance at the festival, Coel said she loved working with McKellen on “The Christophers” and called him a “hero.”

“He’s just the loveliest soul,” Coel said, per Variety. “He just had an upward spirit…I loved the idea of a character like Ian McKellen and me coming together and like loving each other.”