Ian McKellen was “incredible” when he returned to work on The Critic after recovering from his stage fall.

The Lord of the Rings actor injured his neck and wrist when he fell from a theatre stage in June, and after taking some time off to recover, he returned to work on The Critic.

Over the summer, he went to a London studio to record some new lines of ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) as part of the post-production process.

Reflecting on McKellen’s return to work, the film’s director Anand Tucker was full of praise for his leading man’s talent.

“(He was) incredible. I mean I think it was the first thing that Ian had done since taking time out to recover and yeah, it was amazing. He was Jimmy Erskine straight away,” Tucker told Cover Media. “I mean listen, the guy’s like the Michael Jordan of acting, isn’t he? Or the Maradona of acting. He’s just brilliant. His voice is that voice that takes you straight away back into the world of the character and the movie so it was very easy.”

In the film, McKellen plays feared theatre critic Jimmy Erskine, who is warned to tone down his barbed reviews. When he becomes at risk of losing his esteemed job, Jimmy hatches a devious plot with actress Nina Land, played by Gemma Arterton.

When asked what made the 85-year-old the perfect actor for Jimmy, Tucker replied, “What would it be about Ian that would not make you think he’s Jimmy Erskine? I think that’s it. He’s Ian McKellen!”

The X-Men star fell from the stage of the Noel Coward Theatre in London during a fight scene in Player Kings. He subsequently dropped out of the remaining performances and the U.K. tour. He recently announced he was taking the rest of the year off.

The Critic is in U.K. cinemas from Friday 13 September.

© Cover Media