SIR Ian McKellen has admitted his health is deteriorating and he now struggles to even remember his best friend’s name.
The revered British actor fell off stage during a performance of Henry IV in London in June, snapping his wrist and chipping a vertebrae, but said he has other issues too.
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He explained: “I forget names… When you’re older you’ve got more to remember than people who are young.
“Nevertheless, it’s a nuisance when you can’t remember your best friend’s name or forget your telephone number.”
Despite being 85, he is determined to keep working but will take time off until 2025.
Ian said: “What else would I be doing if I wasn’t working? I shall take the rest of the year off and then get back to work in January.
“Just keep at it as long as the legs and the lungs and the mind keep working.”
And he is eager to reprise his role as Gandalf in the 2026 film The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, which would be his first appearance as the wizard in 12 years.
In an interview for the BBC, he said: “Well, I’ve had some indication from the powers that be, Gandalf will make an appearance, and I’m not letting anybody else put on the pointy hat and beard if I can help it.”
Speaking last month, he admitted a fat suit he was wearing on stage during his West End accident in June saved him from more severe injuries.
He explained: “My chipped vertebrae and fractured wrist are not yet healed.
“I avoid going out because I’m nervous someone might bump into me, and I’ve been dealing with agonising pains in my shoulders due to the jolt my body took.
“But the fat suit I wore for Falstaff saved my ribs and other joints, so I consider myself lucky.”