Ian Holm, one of the most versatile veteran actors of the Hollywood Film Industry dies at the age of 88. He has charmed his audience with all his acting in movies like The Lords of the Rings, The Hobbit, and also on stage with plays like King Lear.
He breathed his last in London as informed by his agent and manager. In the statement issued by his family, the spokesperson mentions that Sir Ian Holm CBE breathed his last in a hospital in London on June 19, 2020. He had his family, agent, and caretaker by his side when he left the world. Holm was 88 years old and was not well for quite some time. He was also suffering from Parkinson’s disease which was an added disability for him. However, they added that the talented and charming actor died peacefully, and that everyone will miss him a lot.
Contents
The journey of Ian Holm The Actor
Here, we will go through the journey of the actor’s life to remember his great contribution to cinema and stage:
Early life
Ian Holm was born in an ordinary family in Essex, in 1931. His father was the superintendent and supervisor of the psychiatric hospital under the West Ham Corporation. In Holm’s own words, his childhood was pretty much as idyllic existence. He developed a love for acting while he was still very young. So, to nurture the passion and talent in him, he moved from Rada to Stratford’s famous Royal Shakespeare Company. He joined as the pilot team when the institute was being built back in 1960. Over time, Ian Holm had become quite popular in RSC and went on to win the award for the best actor in 1965.
The journey from stage to cinema
There is a beautiful series of Holm’s pictures during his final days that have been documented by his wife, Sophie de Stempel. Ian Holm had quit theater back in 1976 following a massive incident of stage fright. However, he found his calling soon when he was cast in Chariots of Fire in which he played the character of Sam Mussabini. The film was made in 1981, and his character was a maverick athletic coach. For the film, Ian Holm not only secured a massive group of admirers, but also a BAFTA. The film backed a nomination at the Oscars as well, and Holm was in the queue for the Best Actor category.
After Chariots of Fire, he was hailed as one of the most valuable supporting actors of the industry. Much later, he played the role of Bilbo Baggins in the blockbuster trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. It was one of the best works in his entire career, and people will remember it for a long time surely.
Awards and accolades
His brilliant performance in the play Henry V had mesmerized everyone, and he bagged the award for the same. He also performed well in a portion of the seminal Wars of the Roses cycle. The compilation was done by John Barton, and Peter Hall. Holm earned massive appreciation for his work as Lenny in The Homecoming, which was a premiere production. The maker of this play was none other than the famous Pinter. Following this, Holm backed a Tony Award which pushed him top Broadway. Later, in 1973 when the film version of The Homecoming was made, Pinter himself referred the name of Holm to the director. He said that only Holm can perfectly fit into the shoes of the character.
Just like most stars have a low phase in life, Ian Holmes was no exception to this. Back in 1976, he suffered a massive breakdown during his performance in The Iceman Cometh. It was the endpoint in his theater career. Although he took a long break from the stage at that time, there was something better waiting for him. Holm started featuring in British movies from then onwards, and the failure proved to be a positive turning point for the man.
Some of his initial films were The Bofors Gun, Young Winston, and Oh! What a Lovely War. It was after he played the character of Ash, the android in Alien, directed by Ridley Scott that he received the ultimate International exposure. Following this, he played one of his most legendary character of Mussabini, the coach of Harold Abrahams, the famous sprinter in the movie Chariots of Fire. After the movie, Holm was nominated for the nomination of the best supporting actor that he lost to Arthur actor, John Gielgud.
Ian Holmes was an acting sensation
By this time, Holm was already a bona fide acting sensation. His was pugnacious as well as eccentric, which are both the best qualities for being a great actor. He also gave stellar performances in Time Bandits, in which he played Napoleon and Mr. Kurtzmann in Brazil. Both movies were directed by Terry Gilliam. After an array of other hit movies, Ian holm got back into Shakespeare’s stories.
His comeback on stage was in 1997 when he played King Lear, directed by Richard Eyre. The next year, he was awarded as a knight in the category of drama services by the National Theater in London.
In 1981, Holmes played the role of Frodo Baggins, in the radio version of Lord of the Rings. The same project later landed him the role of Bilbo. It was in the massive screen adaptation of the same, by Peter Jackson. Although we could not see him in the Two Towers, he returned in the final part. Ian Holmes’ autobiography was launched in 2004 and was titled as Lord of the Flings by a reputed media house. The autobiography contains all his affairs and serial marriages. He is now survived by Stempel, his fourth wife, Penelope Wilton, his third wife, and his five children.
Relations with his co-stars
Ian was known to be a great support and was hailed by his co-stars from different generations. Earlier, during this month when he was already suffering from illness, he mentioned his regret of not being able to attend the virtual reunion of his films. He wished everyone luck and said that he was sorry for not being able to see any of them. Holm was always a cheerful person who said that he was missing everyone sitting in his London home. He said that he was hoping everyone was doing well, and that their work must take them places and give them new experiences of growth and learning.
