Sir Ian Holm, a British actor who starred as Bilbo Baggins in Lord of the Rings and Ash the android in Alien has passed on at the age of 88.
The legendary British actor who is known for his roles in Alien, Lord of the Rings, Chariots of Fire and Time Bandits passed away on Friday (Jun 19) from a Parkinson’s related sickness at the hospital surrounded by his loved ones.
Alex Irwin, his agent released a statement that read that it was with great sadness that they can confirm that the actor Sir Ian Holm CBE died in the morning at the age of 88. He passed on peacefully in the hospital surrounded by his loved ones and carer. His sickness was Parkinson’s related. The statement continued saying that the late Ian was an established star of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Harold Pinter’s favourite actor.
Sir Ian was internationally known for his extraordinarily impressive and varied career that included highlights such as Chariots of Fire, The Fifth Element, Alien, The Sweet Hereafter, Time Bandits, The Emperor’s New Clothes and The Madness of King George. Sir Ian’s portrayal of Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies ensured the magic of his craft could be shared by all generations.
The statement read that Sir Ian was a genius of stage and screen, winning multiple awards and loved by directors, audiences and his colleagues alike. His sparkling wit always accompanied a mischievous twinkle in his eye. It continued, saying that Sir Ian was charming, kind and ferociously talented and that they will miss him hugely. In 1967, Holm was awarded the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his performance as Lenny in theatre production The Homecoming and the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance in the title role in King Lear.
Sir Ian will always be remembered for his portrayal of sinister malfunctioning android Ash in Sir Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi horror classic Alien.
The late actor is survived by his fourth wife, Sophie de Stempel, and five children from previous relationships. /TISG