Ian McKellen admitted to hospital after falling off stage during a performance in London

Ian McKellen stepped into the spotlight in London and ended up in hospital… after a nasty fall during a theater performance this week.

The actor, who turned 85 last month, was hospitalized Monday after losing his balance in a fight scene on “Player Kings” and falling off the stage… according to multiple reports from Britain.

Ian plays John Falstaff in ‘PK’ – a new West End production of Shakespeare’s Henry IV parts one and two – and he was circling a battle scene when he tumbled from the front of the stage and screamed in pain as he hit the deck .

The full extent of Ian’s injuries are unclear… but it was serious enough for theater staff to rush to his aid. The play was subsequently scrapped entirely and the audience was evacuated from the theater while Ian was taken for medical attention.

Ian has been performing in “Player Kings” at the Noël Coward Theater in London since April, and the production only has a few weeks of shows left.

He’s been outspoken about turning down many roles in his old age, but opened up about this part and recently said he would consider playing Gandalf again in a possible ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie… although he admits when he’s getting a script now, he considers the possibility it could be his last.