Although he broke multiple bones, the 'Wilde' actor says his injuries could have been worse after he accidentally took a tumble from the stage at London's The O2.
- Dec 17, 2023
AceShowbiz - Stephen Fry feels lucky to still be able to walk after suffering a horror fall in September. The 66-year-old actor injured his leg, pelvis and several ribs after falling off the stage at London's The O2 in September, but the surgeon who operated on his broken bones told him things could have been much worse.
"It was pretty nasty. I broke my leg in two places, my pelvis in four places and a bunch of ribs, so it was really quite serious. I was giving this lecture. When I finished I took my bow and walked off stage not knowing that the bulk of the stage I was walking on had a six foot drop onto concrete. It was grim," he said to Susanna Reid and Ed Balls on "Good Morning Britain".
"The orthopedic surgeon made it clear that he was dealing with people who had had a fall from lesser heights, who might not walk again. The two things that you don't want to hit are your skull or your spine. And I was very fortunate that I didn't, so there was no suggestion of either cognitive impairment."
Fortunately, Stephen is now feeling "whole and healed" thanks to physiotherapy and hydrotherapy, and was grateful painkillers were able to aid in his recovery. He said, "They [painkillers] mean the physio can get you on your feet earlier."
"Even though it was the dreaded OxyContin, which has cut a swathe through America in the opioid crisis, it was being dealt to me very properly and I was weaned off it so I didn't get addicted. Because of the painkillers I was able to move earlier than I would otherwise have been able to."
"The Morning Show" actor also spoke about raising awareness of prostate cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2018. He said, "I'm very lucky. I prefer to think I am overcoming it. The fortunate position of being in showbusiness is that people are allowed to do so much more."
He went on, "It's easier to be open about who you are, whether it's sexuality, whether it's emotions, whether it's illness of the mental kind or the physical kind - people are much more open. So if there is a price to be paid for fame and celebrity and the joy of it - and it's not really a price, it's one willingly paid - it's that you do have an opportunity to share what you are going through."
