Ian Holm, British star of stage and screen, dies at 88
LONDON — Ian Holm, an acclaimed British actor whose long career included roles in "Chariots of Fire" and "The Lord of the Rings" has died. He was 88.
Holm died peacefully Friday morning in a hospital, surrounded by his family, his agent, Alex Irwin, said in a statement. His illness was Parkinson's related.
A star of stage and screen, Holm won a Tony Award for best featured actor as Lenny in Harold Pinter's play "The Homecoming" in 1967.
An established figure in the Royal Shakespeare Company, he won a Laurence Olivier Award for best actor for his performance in the title role of "King Lear" in 1998.
He won a British Academy Film Award and gained a supporting-actor Oscar nomination for portraying pioneering athletics coach Sam Mussabini in the hit 1982 film "Chariots of Fire."
He also appeared in "The Fifth Element," "Alien," "The Sweet Hereafter," "Time Bandits," "The Emperor's New Clothes" and "The Madness of King George." More recently, he portrayed Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogies.
Holm was knighted in 1998 for his services to drama.
"His sparkling wit always accompanied a mischievous twinkle in his eye," Irwin said. "Charming, kind and ferociously talented, we will miss him hugely."
Holm was married four times and had five children.
Support Canvas
Sustain our coverage of culture, arts and literature.
Colum McCann's Narrative 4 organization is bringing the power of story to students in a time of division. The project…
Growing up in South Africa, internationally celebrated opera singer Pretty Yende hadn’t even heard of opera until she was almost…
U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria found that 13 authors who sued Meta “made the wrong arguments.” But the judge also…
The untitled film will be the first since Amazon MGM Studios took creative reins of the storied film franchise after…
Arthur Sze, one of the most acclaimed poets of our time, is celebrated for exploring the natural world, the human…
Researchers believe it was a gunboat built in 1775 to defend Philadelphia. They don't know all the places the boat…
BTS is expected to reunite later this year. The K-pop group routinely breaks records and are credited for bringing the…
Unless you’re a longtime jazz aficionado, you might only know the names and music of a handful of stars and…
Comedian and illustrator Mo Welch has built a career blending sharp humor with emotional honesty. Her recent special, "Dad Jokes,"…
A new biography, "Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson," tells the story of the Black transgender pioneer’s…
A week ago, 11 of the 12 members of the board overseeing the prestigious Fulbright Program, which promotes international educational…
Cruise, choreographer Debbie Allen and “Do The Right Thing” production designer Wynn Thomas have all been selected to receive honorary…
A doctor charged with giving Matthew Perry ketamine in the month leading up to the “Friends” star's overdose death has…
How lost are we without our devices? Or putting it more simply, as novelist Colum McCann might: just how isolated…
Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys’ visionary and fragile leader whose genius for melody, arrangements and wide-eyed self-expression made him one…