His death was confirmed to The Guardian this morning by his agents, with the cause of his death being related to Parkinson’s disease. In a statement, they described him as “charming, kind, and ferociously talented,” and said that he will be missed “hugely.”
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Holm first rose to prominence as a stage actor, before breaking through on the silver screen. For many fans, their first exposure to the actor was his performance in the iconic film Alien, a film popular enough to get a Mortal Kombat skin. He rose to prominence in the 1980s for his role as an athletics trainer in the sports drama Chariots of Fire, which netted him both a BAFTA and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
He was introduced to a new generation of fans through the blockbuster Lord of The Rings trilogy, where he played Bilbo Baggins, a relative of Frodo Baggins, and the first hobbit to possess the One Ring. He would later reprise his role as Bilbo in The Hobbit trilogy.
He recently expressed sadness that he was unable to attend the virtual Lord of The Rings reunion due to his illness, saying,“I miss you all and hope your adventures have taken you to many places, I am in lockdown in my hobbit home, or holm.”
Sir Ian Holm is survived by his five children and his wife, artist Sophie de Stempel.
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Source: The Guardian
