File photo of Ian Holm in Cannes from 2000 (courtesy AFP)
Strong points
- “He died peacefully in hospital with his family,” said a statement.
- He has also been nominated for six BAFTA Awards
- He was appointed knight in 1998 for his theater services
London:
Oscar-nominated British actor Ian Holm, famous for his roles in Hollywood blockbusters The Lord of the Rings and Extraterrestrial, died Friday at the age of 88, said his agent.
Nominated for an Oscar for his interpretation of coach Sam Mussabini in the 1981 award-winning film Fire carts – which also earned him his second BAFTA and the award for best supporting actor at the Cannes Film Festival – Holm has appeared in a multitude of leading international films.
He played the main antagonist Ash in the first film Alien, and appeared in The madness of King George and The aviator.
Holm suffered from a Parkinson-related illness, his agency said in a statement.
“It is with great sadness that we can confirm that actor Sir Ian Holm CBE died this morning at the age of 88,” said the statement.
“He died peacefully in the hospital with his family and caregiver.”
American actress Mia Farrow led a celebrity parade paying tribute, calling Holm “always brilliant”.
“He was one of the giants of the theater,” said Farrow, who appeared on stage with Holm at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).
British comedian and actor Eddie Izzard tweeted: “The great Ian Holm is dead. Magnificent actor and it’s so sad to see him go. Farewell, you did a good job sir.”
Director Edgar Wright said that Holm was “an actor of genius who brought a considerable presence to funny, heartbreaking and terrifying plays”.
– Late world glory –
Among the other notable films in which he appeared are Oh! What a great war, Time Bandits, the day after tomorrow, and The fifth Element.
His last role in cinema came in 2014 in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
His portrait of Bilbo Baggins in the The Lord of the Rings the trilogy gained world fame later in life.
But he had already established himself before as a theater star with the RSC, which he joined in 1958, and appeared regularly on British television.
He won a Tony in 1967 for his performance as Lenny in the Prime Minister of the play by Harold Pinter Back on Broadway.
He was Pinter’s favorite actor: “He puts my shoe on, and it fits me!” the playwright would have said.
RSC artistic director Gregory Doran called Holm “quite simply one of the great people of RSC”.
The National Theater in London, where he played a memorable Lear in 1997, described him as an “extraordinary actor” in a tweet.
In addition to his Oscar nomination, he has also been nominated for six awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
The BAFTA said it was “very sorry” to learn of his death.
Holm was born in Essex, east of London, to a psychiatrist father and a nursing mother in 1931.
He was appointed knight in 1998 for his theater services.
In addition to his acting career, he also served in the British army, completing national service in Austria.
He has been married four times and has had five children. His third wife was Penelope Wilton, star of Downton Abbey.
The couple divorced in 2001, 10 years after their marriage.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
