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We have an Ian McKellen health update, courtesy of Anthony Hopkins. As we discussed last week, Sir Ian was treading the boards as Falstaff in Player Kings, a new adaptation of Henry IV, when he missed a step and fell off the stage. The descriptions of his cry for help still haunt me. Thankfully, Sir Ian was promptly taken to the hospital where he was told to expect a full and speedy recovery. The show was in its final week on the West End before starting a national tour, and after initially hoping otherwise, Sir Ian didn’t make it back on stage to close the London run. Enter Sir Anthony, who just shared on Monday (exactly one week after the accident) a video of the two Sirs dancing. In matching jackets, no less. Like they say: you can’t keep a good Gandalf down.
Sir Ian McKellen is back on his feet! One week after the 85-year-old actor fell off stage while performing in Player Kings, Anthony Hopkins took to Instagram to share a video dancing with his longtime pal.
In the sweet video, the men – wearing matching plaid jackets – hug and dance, smiling as they twirl around the room to Leonard Cohen’s “Dance Me to the End of Love.”
“Today I celebrate my dear friend, Ian and his unbreakable spirit… I love this man,” Hopkins captioned the clip with his The Dresser co-star.
Hopkins, 85, continued by shouting out his friend, Salma Hayek, who starred in House of Gucci, writing, “‘We both have our Gucci on…’ 🕺🕺Thank you, Salma ❤️.”
We’re all thinking it so I’m just gonna say it: their matching jackets are not plaid, they’re checks! Two colors in the same stripe pattern in warp and weft, come on ET! And why are they donning matching jackets, dancing in a chandelier-lit venue that looks fitting for a wedding reception? I suspect we’ll never know. But I’m glad to say that Ian looks great! In fact, if I didn’t know the backstory and was asked to identify which of the two Sirs had recently had an accident, I’d be inclined to guess Anthony. He’s that bad at following Ian’s lead! No really, Ian gently tries to guide Tony in a twirl, but Tony backs up, does a few bounces, and then goes for broke with faces and gestures. But it’s sweet and the mutual affection is obviously genuine. As for the month-long national tour of Player Kings, it sure looks like Ian will be raring to go when it kicks off on July 3 in Bristol. After all, what’s a little Shakespeare after dancing with Hannibal Lecter?
So wonderful to see him up and about! We CANNOT lose him yet.
AGREED.
Yay!
Great to see him up and about and in good spirits
Oh that was a lovely video. Did my heart good!
Awwww! We all need friendships like this. People we can dance, laugh and cry with. I’d espy like a friend who gives out Gucci as a sign of love.❤️🤣
Saw this on Anthony Hopkins Insta a few days ago. Loved it! Warmed my jaded heart to see two old friends having fun ❤️❤️
Well this is delightful and I adore that song.
On a previous trip to Bristol (I forget what he was in at the time) he bumped into a guy dressed as Gandalf for his birthday or some other celebration one night and pretty much tapped the guy on the shoulder and said hi. He’s a treasure.
Neither of them knows how to follow. 😄