Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert (12 September 1931 – 19 June 2020) was an English actor. After graduating from RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) and beginning his career on the British stage as a 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 opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...

, he became a successful and prolific performer on television and in film. He received numerous accolades including two

BAFTA Awards The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best Cinema of the United Kingdom, British and Worl ...

and a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

, along with a nomination for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

. He was knighted by

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

for services to drama. Holm won the 1967 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his performance as Lenny in the

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...

play '' The Homecoming''. He won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance in the title role in the 1998 West End production of ''

King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...

''. For his television roles he received two

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

nominations for King Lear, and the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, 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 based a ...

film '' The Last of the Blonde Bombshells'' (2003). Holm gained acclaim for his role in '' The Bofors Gun'' (1968), winning the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He was nominated for an

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 9th Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in ...

, and won a second

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

for his role as athletics trainer Sam Mussabini in ''

Chariots of Fire ''Chariots of Fire'' is a 1981 historical drama, historical Sports film, sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Summer ...

'' (1981). Other notable films he appeared in include '' Alien'' (1979), ''

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

'' (1985), '' Dreamchild'' (1985), '' Henry V'' (1989), '' Naked Lunch'' (1991), '' The Madness of King George'' (1994), ''

The Fifth Element ''The Fifth Element'' () is a 1997 English-language French science-fiction action film conceived and directed by Luc Besson, and co-written by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. It stars Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, an ...

'' (1997), '' The Sweet Hereafter'' (1997), and '' The Aviator'' (2004). He played

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

three separate times. He gained wider appreciation for his role as the elderly Bilbo Baggins in

Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand filmmaker. He is best known as the director, writer, and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy (2012–2014), both of which ar ...

's ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book ''The Hobbit'' but eventually d ...

'' trilogy and ''

The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ...

'' trilogy.

Early life and education

Ian Holm Cuthbert was born on 12 September 1931 in Goodmayes,

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

, to Scottish parents, James Cuthbert and his wife Jean (née Holm). His father was a

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are physicians who evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments or strictly ...

who worked as the superintendent of the West Ham Corporation Mental Hospital and was one of the pioneers of electric shock therapy; 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 ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

''. 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 ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

''. Published 20 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020. His parents retired to Mortehoe in Devon and then to

Worthing Worthing ( ) is a seaside town and borough in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 113,094 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Br ...

, where he joined an amateur dramatic society. A chance encounter with Henry Baynton, a well-known provincial Shakespearean actor, helped Holm train for admission to the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...

, 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 The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

, during which he was posted to Klagenfurt, Austria, and attained the rank of

Lance Corporal Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many English-speaking armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal. Etymology The presumed origin of the rank of lance corp ...

. 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

in 1953. He made his stage debut in 1954, at

Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon ( ), commonly known as Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon (district), Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of Engl ...

, playing a spear carrier in a staging of ''

Othello ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'', often shortened to ''Othello'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulat ...

''.Mel Gussow (2020
"Ian Holm, Malleable Actor Who Played Lear and a Hobbit, Dies at 88"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. 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 actor in the

before he gained notice in television and film. He began in 1954 with minor roles, progressing to Puck in ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

'' and the fool in ''

''. In 1965, he played

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

in the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

serialisation of ''

The Wars of The Roses The Wars of the Roses, known at the time and in following centuries as the Civil Wars, were a series of armed confrontations, machinations, battles and campaigns fought over control of the English throne from 1455 to 1487. The conflict was f ...

'', based on the RSC production of the plays. He gained acclaim for his role in the 1968 film '' The Bofors Gun'', winning the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. In 1969, he appeared in '' Moonlight on the Highway''. He took on minor roles in films such as ''

Oh! What a Lovely War ''Oh! What a Lovely War'' is a 1969 British epic comedy historical 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 Mo ...

'' (1969), '' Nicholas and Alexandra'' (1971), ''

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

'' (1972) and '' Young Winston'' (1972). In 1967 Holm won a

for Best Featured Actor in a Play as Lenny in '' The Homecoming'' by

. Holm appeared in the 1977 television mini-series '' Jesus of Nazareth'' as the

Sadducee The Sadducees (; ) were a sect of Jews active in Judea during the Second Temple period, from the second century BCE to the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. The Sadducees are described in contemporary literary sources in contrast to ...

Zerah, and as the villain in '' March or Die''. The following year he played

J. M. Barrie Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succe ...

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 ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

''. Published 19 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020. In 1981, he played Frodo Baggins in the BBC radio adaptation of

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlinson ...

's ''

''. Holm's first film role to gain much notice was that of Ash, the "calm, technocratic" science officer – later revealed to be an android – in

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is an English film director and producer. He directs films in the Science fiction film, science fiction, Crime film, crime, and historical drama, historical epic genres, with an atmospheric and highly co ...

's science-fiction film '' Alien'' (1979). His portrayal of the running coach Sam Mussabini in ''

'' (1981) earned him a special award at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

, a

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and an

nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In the 1980s, Holm played in ''

Time Bandits ''Time Bandits'' is a 1981 British fantasy adventure film co-written, produced, and directed by Terry Gilliam. It stars David Rappaport, Sean Connery, John Cleese, Shelley Duvall, Ralph Richardson, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Michael ...

'' (1981), '' Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes'' (1984) and ''

'' (1985). He played

Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet, mathematician, photographer and reluctant Anglicanism, Anglican deacon. His most notable works are ''Alice ...

, the author of '' Alice in Wonderland'', 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 finds a security leak at the heart of his network. He continued to perform

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

in films. He appeared with

Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh ( ; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Born in Belfast and raised primarily in Reading, Berkshire, Branagh trained at RADA in London and served as its president from 2015 to 2024. List of award ...

in '' Henry V'' (1989) and as

Polonius Polonius is a character in William Shakespeare's play ''Hamlet''. He is the chief counsellor of the play's ultimate villain, Claudius, and the father of Laertes and Ophelia. Generally regarded as wrong in every judgment he makes over the cou ...

to Mel Gibson's ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

'' (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 Luc Paul Maurice Besson (; born 18 March 1959) is a French filmmaker. He directed and produced the films '' Subway'' (1985), '' The Big Blue'' (1988), and '' La Femme Nikita'' (1990). Associated with the '' Cinéma du look'' film movement, he h ...

's sci-fi ''

'' and the 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 followed up his radio role as Frodo by appearing as Frodo's older cousin Bilbo Baggins in the blockbuster film '' The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring''. This brought him wider fame, somewhat overshadowing the rest of his acting career. He returned for '' The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' (2003), for which he shared a SAG award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. He later reprised his role as the elderly Bilbo Baggins in the films '' The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'' and '' The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies''.

Martin Freeman Martin John Christopher Freeman (born 8 September 1971) is an English actor. Among other accolades, he has won two Emmy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Freeman's most ...

portrayed the young Bilbo 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 television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

twice, for a PBS broadcast of a National Theatre production of ''

'', in 1999; and for a supporting role in the

film '' The Last of the Blonde Bombshells'' opposite

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...

, in 2001. He voiced Chef Skinner in the

Pixar Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...

animated film '' Ratatouille'' (2007). He appeared in two David Cronenberg films: '' Naked Lunch'' (1991) and '' eXistenZ'' (1999).Peter Bradshaw (2020
"Ian Holm: a virtuoso actor of steel, sinew – and charm"
''

''. Published 19 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020. His acting was admired by

: 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''; the BBC wrote that he "electrified audiences" in the play."Obituary: Ian Holm"

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

. Published 19 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020. He played

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

three times: in the television mini-series '' Napoleon and Love'' (1974),

Terry Gilliam Terrence Vance Gilliam ( ; born 22 November 1940) is an American-British filmmaker, comedian, collage film, collage animator, and actor. He gained stardom as a member of the Monty Python comedy troupe alongside John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Pa ...

's ''

'' (1981), and '' The Emperor's New Clothes''. Holm 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 the actress Penelope Wilton, in

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...

, in 1991 (divorced 2002); and to the artist Sophie de Stempel in 2003. He had five children. Holm and Wilton appeared together in the BBC miniseries '' The Borrowers'' (1993). His last wife, Sophie de Stempel, was a protégée and a life model of Lucian Freud, and an artist. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

. Holm was treated for

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...

in 2001. He was diagnosed with

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...

in 2007.

Death

Holm died in hospital in London on 19 June 2020 at the age of 88. According to Alex Irwin, Holm's agent, his death was related to Parkinson's disease. His remains are interred on the western side of Highgate Cemetery.

Posthumous image use

With the consent of his heirs, the role of android Rook was generated from Holm's archive data and

computer-generated imagery Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is a specific-technology or application of computer graphics for creating or improving images in Digital art, art, Publishing, printed media, Training simulation, simulators, videos and video games. These images ...

for the 2024 film '' Alien: Romulus'', the identical model to Ash, the character of the first ''Alien'' film, he played in 1979.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Honours and accolades

* 1989:

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE) in the 1989 Birthday Honours. * 1998: Knighted in the 1998 Birthday Honours for services to drama.

Bibliography

References

External links

* * * *
Obituary: Ian Holm
by

. Published 19 June 2020.
Sir Ian Holm obituary
by ''

''. Authors – Michael Billington and Ryan Gilbey. Published 19 June 2020. {{DEFAULTSORT:Holm, Ian 1931 births 2020 deaths 20th-century British Army personnel 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Actors awarded knighthoods Actors from the London Borough of Redbridge 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 British Army soldiers 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 in England English male film actors English male radio actors English male Shakespearean 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 Military personnel from the London Borough of Redbridge Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners People educated at Chigwell School Royal Shakespeare Company members Tony Award winners