Ian Holm, of ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Chariots of Fire,’ dead at 88
Oscar nominee Sir Ian Holm, best known for film roles in “Chariots of Fire” and “The Lord of the Rings,” died in London Friday at age 88.
“It is with great sadness that the actor Sir Ian Holm CBE passed away this morning at the age of 88,” his agent confirmed to The Guardian. “He died peacefully in hospital, with his family and carer . ... Charming, kind and ferociously talented, we will miss him hugely.”
Holm’s agent noted that his illness was linked to Parkinson’s.
Though Holms took home a BAFTA and scored an Oscar nomination for his role as Sam Mussabini in 1981’s “Chariots of Fire,” younger viewers will probably best remember him for his role as hobbit Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
Holms also played Old Bilbo in 2012’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” and again in 2014’s conclusion to “The Hobbit” trilogy, “The Battle of the Five Armies,” which was his final film role.
Throughout his nearly 60 year career, beginning in 1957, Holm appeared in a myriad of iconic projects, including “Alien,” “Brazil,” and “Naked Lunch.”
He won a Tony in 1967 for his role as Lenny in Harold Pinter’s “The Homecoming,” and in 1998 took home the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for playing the titular role in “King Lear.”
In his earlier days, Holm played Puck in a TV version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” King Richard III in the miniseries, “The War of the Roses,” and J.M. Barrie in the miniseries, “The Lost Boys.”
His wife, Sophie de Stempel created pastel portraits of him in his last days, which are posted to her Instagram page.
“With great sadness the wonderful Ian Holm died today,” she confirmed via the social media platform.
Earlier this month, Holm spoke about not being able to join the “Lord of the Rings” cast for a virtual reunion.
“I am sorry to not see you in person,” he said, according to The Guardian. “I miss you all and hope your adventures have taken you to many places, I am in lockdown in my hobbit home, or holm.”
“Shaun of the Dead” director Edgar Wright paid tribute to the late Holm on Twitter, calling him “a genius actor who brought considerable presence to parts funny, heartbreaking & terrifying.
“The great Ian Holm is dead,” tweeted Eddie Izzard. “Wonderful actor and it’s so sad to see him go. Farewell, you did great work Sir.”
“RIP Sir Ian Holm. What an actor. A lifetime of incredible performances,” tweeted “The League of Gentlemen” star and writer Reece Shearsmith.