Tributes have flooded in for Lord Of The Rings star Sir Ian Holm, who died this morning aged 88 with Parkinson’s disease.
The acting community rallied this afternoon to remember the on-screen legend, fondly described by his agent as ‘charming, kind and ferociously talented.
Big names including Eddie Izzard, Mia Farrow and Edgar Wright hailed Sir Ian as one of the titans of the industry and paid their respects to his wife, the artist Sophie de Stempel, and his five children.
Sir Ian famously played Bilbo Baggins in the hit fantasy trilogy and revived the role for the later Hobbit film series.
But his career spanned both screen and stage, where he notably portrayed King Lear in 1998 for which he bagged a Tony.
Lord of the Rings star Sir Ian Holm has died aged 88 following a battle with Parkinson’s disease (pictured in April 2019 in Mayfair)
Sir Ian famously played Bilbo Baggins in the hit trilogy and revived the role for the later Hobbit film series
Sir Ian Holm and his wife Sophie de Stempel attend the Newport Beach Film Festival in January this year
His agent said today: ‘It is with great sadness we can confirm that the actor Sir Ian Holm CBE passed away this morning at the age of 88.
‘He died peacefully in hospital, with his family and carer. His illness was Parkinson’s related.
‘He was a genius of stage and screen, winning multiple awards and loved by directors, audiences and his colleagues alike.
‘His sparkling wit always accompanied a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Charming, kind and ferociously talented, we will miss him hugely’.
As well being cast as a hobbit, Sir Ian is remembered fondly across generations as Father Vito Cornelius in The Fifth Element, android double agent Ash in Alien and Harold Abrahams’ running coach Sam Mussabini in Chariots Of Fire.
Widely considered one of the greatest British actors, Sir Ian was a favourite among critics, the public and his fellow stars.
Upon the announcement of his death, social media was set alight with tributes to the departed Sir Ian.
Eastenders actor Nitin Ganatra tweeted: ‘Oh what sad sad news. One of the best actors in the world ever, one of my favourite all time actors ever, one of the finest of people ever… has passed. God this is sad. RIP.’
Shaun Of The Dead director Edgar Wright wrote: ‘RIP Ian Holm, a genius actor who brought considerable presence to parts funny, heartbreaking & terrifying.
‘Thanks for Bilbo, Napoleon (twice), Sweet Hereafter, Big Night, Brazil and, of course the iconic Ash.’
Born in 1931 in a psychiatric hospital in Goodmayes, Essex, he was married four times, including to Downton Abbey actress Penelope Wilton, who he wed in 1991 and divorced 10 years later.
Eddie Izzard tweeted: ‘The great Ian Holm is dead. Wonderful actor and it’s so sad to see him go. Farewell, you did great work Sir.’
The acting community rallied this afternoon to remember the on-screen legend, fondly described by his agent as ‘charming, kind and ferociously talented
Sir Ian (pictured with his third wife Penelope Wilton) was knighted at Buckingham Palace in 1998 for services to acting
Tributes from the acting community poured in this afternoon following the announcement of his death
Steve Ford, chief executive of Parkinson’s UK, said: ‘Today we mourn the loss of a legend of the stage and screen.
‘With an extensive career that brought joy to so many people, and as an inspirational member of the Parkinson’s community, Sir Ian will be sorely missed. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time.’
Parkinson’s is a degenerative condition where the brain cells that stimulate dopamine begin to die, often leading to tremors and anxiety.
It currently affects around 145,000 people in the UK and there is not yet a cure.
Sir Ian Holm: Award winning actor’s career spanned genres and generations after starring roles in Lord of the Rings, Alien and Chariots of Fire
Sir Ian Holm was admired for his Stakhanovite work ethic and rich character portraits, which spanned genres and generations.
He was many things to many people – Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings trilogy, Father Vito Cornelius in The Fifth Element, android double agent Ash in Alien.
Younger viewers might treasure his turn as the grumpy old hobbit whose adventures across Middle Earth prompted encounters with dwarves, dragons and the One Ring.
The older generation might recall his electric portrayal of Harold Abrahams’ running coach Sam Mussabini in the Oscar-winning Chariots Of Fire.
Younger viewers might treasure his turn as the grumpy old hobbit whose adventures across Middle Earth prompted encounters with dwarves, dragons and the One Ring (pictured playing Bilbo Baggins in the 2001 movie)
Widely considered one of the greatest British actors, Sir Ian was a favourite among critics, the public and his fellow actors.
His presence was coveted by directors, and he worked alongside Martin Scorsese, Stanley Tucci, David Cronenberg and Woody Allen to name just a few.
Across more than 100 roles in films, television and on stage, he secured a Laurence Olivier award, a Tony and a Bafta, and was a member of the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company.
Sir Ian was married four times, most recently to Sophie de Stempel, a protegee and life model of Lucian Freud, and had five children.
His various dalliances led him to be dubbed the ‘Lord of the Flings’ by the tabloid press.
Sir Ian was born on September 12 1931 in a psychiatric hospital in Goodmayes, Essex, where his father was superintendent, and did pioneering research into electric shock therapy.
Ian Holm (right) meeting Queen Elizabeth at the Royal Festival Hall in London in 1997
Inspired by seeing Les Miserables as a boy, he secured a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1949 before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company.
However, his stage career was cut short after he developed acute stage fright during a production of The Iceman Cometh in 1976.
‘The actor’s industrial disease,’ he later described the condition.
He returned to the stage on only a handful of occasions, including his acclaimed portrayal of King Lear at the National Theatre in 1998.
In June that year, he was knighted for services to entertainment.
Typically, he was busy with work, filming eXistenZ just outside Toronto in Canada with cult film-maker Cronenberg.
He said only: ‘I’m delighted.’
Sir Ian Holm on the red carpet arriving for the UK premiere of the film Tolkein in London, April 29, 2019
Sir Ian’s turn as Bilbo Baggins in The Lord Of The Rings between 2001 and 2003, and then The Hobbit, transformed him from revered actor into household name.
In an unlikely twist, some two decades earlier he had played Frodo Baggins, Bilbo’s cousin and heir, in a BBC radio adaptation of the JRR Tolkien books.
Sir Ian said in a 2004 interview with the Independent that he was ‘completely amazed by the reaction’ to the films.
He added: ‘I get a lot of fan mail addressed to Bilbo and sometimes Sir Bilbo – it’s hardly ever addressed to Ian Holm, in fact.
‘My business manager drafts the replies, and then I pop into the office and sign them ‘Bilbo’ but, of course, it hasn’t changed my life. Nothing could possibly change my life.’
He was many things to many people – Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings trilogy, Father Vito Cornelius in The Fifth Element, android double agent Ash in Alien (pictured in the 1979 film, Alien)
In 2002, he revealed he was being treated for prostate cancer and had begun treatment, including with hormones, in the UK and the US.
His work became more sparse as he passed his 70th birthday.
He voiced a diminutive, ruthless chef in Pixar’s Ratatouille, played Ben-Gurion in O Jerusalem and reprised Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit.
In one of his final public appearances, a frail Sir Ian attended an event organised by the Newport Beach Film Festival at London’s Langham Hotel in a wheelchair.
He was honoured with an icon award, celebrating his six-decade contribution to the arts, and his family delivered a speech in his stead.