Legendary Star Of Stage And Screen, Sir Ian Holm, Dies At The Age Of 88.
It is with great sadness that we bring you the news that prolific, multi-award winning, star of stage and screen, Sir Ian Holm, has sadly passed away at the age of 88. Holm’s agent confirmed the news of the actors’ death in a statement to The Guardian stating:
“It is with great sadness that the actor Sir Ian Holm CBE passed away this morning at the age of 88,” they said. “He died peacefully in hospital, with his family and carer,” adding that his illness was Parkinson’s related. “Charming, kind and ferociously talented, we will miss him hugely.”
Sir Ian Holm was born on September 12, 1931, in Goodmayes, Essex, to parents Jean Wilson and Doctor James Harvey Cuthbert. Raised in London, Holm studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and graduated in 1950 to the Royal Shakespeare Company. Holm first took an interest in acting at the age of seven after seeing a production of Les Misérables.
His stage credits include productions such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Measure for Measure, Coriolanus (In which he shared the stage alongside Laurence Olivier), Othello, The Homecoming and many more.
Aside from his prominent stage career, Holm was a familiar face in film and television with over 130 credits to his name. Versatile and accomplished in everything that achieved Holm was known for playing many roles throughout the course of his career, bringing remarkable screen presence to every character that he played and every scene that he was in.
Just a few of the roles that many people will remember him for are that of ‘King Richard III’ in The War of the Roses (1965-1970), ‘Gordon’ in The Frighteners (1972), ‘Napolean’ in Time Bandits (1981), ‘Pod’ in The Borrowers (1992), ‘Ash’ in Alien (1972), ‘Cornelius’ in The Fifth Element (1997), ‘Sir William Gull’ in From Hell (2001), ‘Bilbo Baggins’ in Peter Jackson’s big budget screen adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, appearing in The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) and The Return of the King (2003), Holm reprised the same role in Jackson’s follow up adapted Tolkien novel The Hobbit in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014).
These are just a handful of his fantastic performances that have shaped and defined his career, and given fans great joy over the years. Regardless of the roles he played, and what he is mos known for to many fans throughout the world, it is fair to say that his unique talent as an actor has given us some of the greatest characters, performances and scenes in stage and screen history.
Sir Ian Holm was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours List and was appointed Knight Bachelor in the 1998 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to drama. Holm’s final days were documented in a series of pastel portraits by his wife, Sophie de Stempel.
Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of Sir Ian Holm, at this difficult time, and to all who knew, admired, and loved him.
“All performances are different. I don’t think it’s necessary to compare one with another. I am just me playing the role of Lear. You’re bound to get a Holm approach to it, whatever that may be. I just got out there and did it. I’m very much a doer in my acting.”