Sir Ian McKellen is putting his health first.
The 86-year-old actor skipped the premiere of his latest movie, The Christophers, at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on medical advice.
But he was there in a spirit, sharing a video message for the audience ahead of the premiere to introduce the film and explain his absence.
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"Better safe than sorry," McKellen said, according to the Variety, as he addressed the audience at the Princess of Wales Theatre in the pre-recorded message on Sunday.
McKellen said his "medical advisers" told him he shouldn't fly.
The actor went on to note that the last time he was in the city was in 1999, when he was shooting X-Men, where he took on the role of Magneto in the comic book legend.
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"If you enjoy it, will you tell your friends?" he added of the Steven Soderbergh-directed film.
"That's partly what festivals are about, isn't it?"
McKellen stars alongside Michaela Coel, James Corden and Jessica Gunning in the film.
The famed actor didn't go into more detail about his health, or the reason why he was advised not to fly.
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The Lord of the Rings actor spent three days in hospital in June last year.
He fell off the stage during a performance of his play Player Kings at London's Noël Coward theatre.
Two months after the accident he told Saga Magazine that he was afraid to leave the house, but admitted it could have been a lot worse.
He explained the "fat suit" he wore for the role "saved my ribs and other joints, so I consider myself lucky."
"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 pain in my shoulders due to the jolt my body took," he said at the time.
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