Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert (12 September 1931 – 19 June 2020) was an English actor who was knighted in 1998 for his contributions to theatre and film. Beginning his career on the British stage as a standout member of the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

, he later transitioned into a successful and prolific screen career. On film he portrayed a variety of both supporting and leading characters, earning critical acclaim and many accolades in the process. Holm won the 1967 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his performance as Lenny in '' The Homecoming'' and the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance in the title role of '' King Lear''. He was nominated for seven

BAFTA Awards The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cere ...

, winning

Best Actor in a Supporting Role Best Actor in a Supporting Role may refer to: * AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role * BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role * Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Male * Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a S ...

twice for ''

The Bofors Gun ''The Bofors Gun'' is a 1968 British drama film directed by Jack Gold and starring Nicol Williamson, David Warner, Ian Holm and John Thaw. It was based on the play ''Events While Guarding the Bofors Gun'' by John McGrath. It is set in 1954, d ...

'' (his film debut) and '' Chariots of Fire'' (as a running coach). His latter performance as athletics trainer

Sam Mussabini Scipio Africanus "Sam" Mussabini (6 August 1867 – 12 March 1927) was an English athletics coach best known for his work with Harold Abrahams. In total, he led athletes to eleven medals over five Olympic Games. However, in an era where amateuri ...

was also nominated for an Academy Award. His other well-known film roles include

Ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

in ''

Alien Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...

'', Mr Kurtzmann in '' Brazil'', Francis Willis in '' The Madness of King George'', Father Vito Cornelius in '' The Fifth Element'', Mitchell Stephens in '' The Sweet Hereafter'', the voice of Chef Skinner in '' Ratatouille'', and elderly Bilbo Baggins in

Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...

's '' The Lord of the Rings'' and ''The Hobbit'' trilogies. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

Early life and education

Ian Holm Cuthbert was born on 12 September 1931 in Goodmayes, Essex, to Scottish parents, James Harvey Cuthbert and his wife Jean Wilson (née Holm). His father was a

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their sy ...

who worked as the superintendent of the West Ham Corporation Mental Hospital and was one of the pioneers of

electric shock therapy Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a psychiatric treatment where a generalized seizure (without muscular convulsions) is electrically induced to manage refractory mental disorders.Rudorfer, MV, Henry, ME, Sackeim, HA (2003)"Electroconvulsive th ...

; his mother was a nurse. He had an older brother, who died when Ian was 12 years old.Alan Strachan (2020
"Ian Holm: Versatile actor whose measured, gritty performances took him from Shakespeare to Hollywood"
'' The Independent''. Published 19 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020. Holm was educated at the independent Chigwell School in Essex.Michael Billington & Ryan Gilbey (2020
"Sir Ian Holm obituary"
'' The Guardian''. Published 20 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020. His parents retired to

Mortehoe Mortehoe is a village and former manor on the north coast of Devon, England. It lies 10 miles north-west of Barnstaple, near Woolacombe and Lee Bay, and is sited in a valley within the hilly sand-dune-like land behind Morte Point, almost direc ...

in Devon and then to Worthing, where he joined an amateur dramatic society. A chance encounter with

Henry Baynton Henry Baynton (23 September 1892 in Moseley in Warwickshire, England – 2 January 1951 in London) was a British Shakespearean actor and actor-manager of the early 20th century who in a stage career lasting 40 years is credited with playing ...

, a well-known provincial Shakespearean actor, helped Holm train for admission to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he secured a place from 1950. His studies were interrupted a year later when he was called up for National Service in the British Army, during which he was posted to Klagenfurt, Austria, and attained the rank of Lance Corporal. They were interrupted a second time when he volunteered to go on an acting tour of the United States in 1952. Holm graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1953. He made his stage debut in 1954, at

Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon (), commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, north-we ...

, playing a spear-carrier in a staging of ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

''.Mel Gussow (2020
"Ian Holm, Malleable Actor Who Played Lear and a Hobbit, Dies at 88"
'' The New York Times''. Published 19 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020. Two years later, he made his London stage debut in ''Love Affair''.

Career

Holm was an established star of the

before gaining notice in television and film. In 1965, he played

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

in the BBC serialisation of ''

The Wars of The Roses The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the throne of England, English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These w ...

'', based on the RSC production of the plays. In 1969, he appeared in ''

Moonlight on the Highway ''Moonlight on the Highway'' is a television play by Dennis Potter, first broadcast on 12 April 1969 as part of ITV's ''Saturday Night Theatre'' strand. The tale of a young Al Bowlly obsessive attempting to blot out memories of sexual abuse via ...

''. He appeared in minor roles in films such as ''

Oh! What a Lovely War ''Oh! What a Lovely War'' is a 1969 British comedy musical war film directed by Richard Attenborough (in his directorial debut), with an ensemble cast, including Maggie Smith, Dirk Bogarde, John Gielgud, John Mills, Kenneth More, Laurence Oli ...

'' (1969), '' Nicholas and Alexandra'' (1971), '' Mary, Queen of Scots'' (1972) and '' Young Winston'' (1972). In 1967 Holm won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play as Lenny in '' The Homecoming'' by

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that spanne ...

. In 1977, Holm appeared in the television mini-series ''

Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

'' as the Sadducee Zerah, and a villainous Moroccan in '' March or Die''. The following year he played J. M. Barrie in the award-winning BBC mini-series '' The Lost Boys'',Mike Barnes (2020
"Ian Holm, Oscar-Nominated Actor in 'Chariots of Fire,' Dies at 88"
'' The Hollywood Reporter''. Published 19 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020. In 1981, he played Frodo Baggins in the BBC radio adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's '' The Lord of the Rings''. Holm's first film role to gain much notice was that of Ash, the "calm, technocratic" science officer - later revealed to be an

android Android may refer to: Science and technology * Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human * Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system ** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...

- in

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...

's science-fiction film ''

'' (1979). His portrayal of the running coach

in '' Chariots of Fire'' (1981) earned him a special award at the Cannes Film Festival, a BAFTA award for

, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In the 1980s, Holm had memorable roles in '' Time Bandits'' (1981), '' Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes'' (1984) and '' Brazil'' (1985). He played Lewis Carroll, the author of ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...

'', in '' Dreamchild'' (1985). In 1989, Holm was nominated for a BAFTA award for the television series '' Game, Set and Match''. Based on the novels by Len Deighton, this tells the story of an intelligence officer (Holm) who learns that his own wife is an enemy spy. He also continued to perform Shakespeare in films. He appeared with Kenneth Branagh in ''

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (121 ...

'' (1989) and as Polonius to Mel Gibson's '' Hamlet'' (1990). Holm was reunited with Branagh in '' Mary Shelley's Frankenstein'' (1994), playing the father of Branagh's Victor Frankenstein. Holm raised his profile in 1997 with two prominent roles, as the priest Vito Cornelius in Luc Besson's sci-fi '' The Fifth Element'' and lawyer Mitchell Stephens in '' The Sweet Hereafter''. In 2001 he starred in '' From Hell'' as the physician Sir William Withey Gull. The same year, he appeared as Bilbo Baggins in the blockbuster film '' The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'', having previously played Bilbo's nephew Frodo Baggins in the 1981 BBC Radio adaptation of ''The Lord of the Rings''. He returned for '' The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' (2003), for which he shared a

SAG SAG, SAg, or sag may refer to: Land formations * Sag (geology), or ''trough'', a depressed, persistent, low area * Sag pond, a body of water collected in the lowest parts of a depression People * Ivan Sag (1949–2013), American linguist ...

award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. He later reprised his role as the elderly Bilbo Baggins in the movie '' The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'' and '' The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies''. Martin Freeman portrayed the young Bilbo Baggins in those films. Holm was nominated for an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

twice, for a PBS broadcast of a National Theatre production of '' King Lear'', in 1999; and for a supporting role in the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

film ''

The Last of the Blonde Bombshells ''The Last of the Blonde Bombshells'' is a 2000 British-American television film directed by Gillies MacKinnon. The script by Alan Plater focuses on the efforts of a recently widowed woman to re-unite the members of the World War II-era swing b ...

'' opposite Judi Dench, in 2001. He appeared in two

David Cronenberg David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation ...

films: '' Naked Lunch'' (1991) and '' eXistenZ'' (1999).Peter Bradshaw (2020
"Ian Holm: a virtuoso actor of steel, sinew – and charm"
'' The Guardian''. Published 19 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020. He was

's favourite actor: the playwright once said: "He puts on my shoe, and it fits!" Holm played Lenny in both the London and New York City premieres of Pinter's '' The Homecoming''."Obituary: Ian Holm"
BBC News. Published 19 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020. He played

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

three times: in the television mini-series '' Napoleon and Love'' (1974), Terry Gilliam's '' Time Bandits'' (1981), and '' The Emperor's New Clothes''. Holm also received royal recognition for his contributions: He was made CBE in 1989 and knighted in 1998.

Personal life

Holm was married four times: to Lynn Mary Shaw in 1955 (divorced 1965); to Sophie Baker in 1982 (divorced 1986); to actress Penelope Wilton, in Wiltshire, in 1991 (divorced 2002); and to the artist Sophie de Stempel in 2003. He had two daughters from his first marriage, a son from his second marriage, and a son and daughter from his 15-year relationship with photographer Bee Gilbert. Holm and Wilton appeared together in the BBC miniseries '' The Borrowers'' (1993). His last wife, Sophie de Stempel, is a protégée and was a

life model An art model poses, often Nudity, nude, for visual artists as part of the creative process, providing a reference for the human body in a work of art. As an occupation, modeling requires the often strenuous 'Work (human activity), physical work' ...

of Lucian Freud, as well as an artist in her own right.

Death

Holm was treated for

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...

in 2001 and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He died in hospital in London on 19 June 2020 at the age of 88. His ashes are interred on the western side of Highgate Cemetery.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Honours, awards and nominations

* 1989: Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the

1989 Birthday Honours Queen's Birthday Honours are announced on or around the date of the Queen's Official Birthday in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The dates vary, both from year to year and from country to country. All are published in supple ...

. * 1998: Knight Bachelor in the

1998 Birthday Honours Queen's Birthday Honours are announced on or around the date of the Queen's Official Birthday in the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth countries. The dates vary, both from year to year and from country to country. All are published in suppleme ...

for services to drama.

Bibliography

References

External links

* * * *
Obituary: Ian Holm
by BBC News. Published 19 June 2020.
Sir Ian Holm obituary
by '' The Guardian''. Authors - Michael Billington and Ryan Gilbey. Published 19 June 2020. {{DEFAULTSORT:Holm, Ian 1931 births 2020 deaths 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Actors awarded knighthoods Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Annie Award winners Audiobook narrators Best Actor Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners Best Supporting Actor BAFTA Award winners Burials at Highgate Cemetery Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor winners Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Critics' Circle Theatre Award winners Deaths from Parkinson's disease Neurological disease deaths in England English male Shakespearean actors English male film actors English male radio actors English male stage actors English male television actors English male voice actors English people of Scottish descent Knights Bachelor Laurence Olivier Award winners Male actors from Essex Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners People educated at Chigwell School People from the London Borough of Redbridge Royal Shakespeare Company members Tony Award winners