The world of acting and fans of sci-fi and fantasy lost a legend with the death of actor Sir Ian Holm.

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Holm was born in England in 1931. After securing a place in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and begin his career in television and film playing Richard III in the BBC’s War of the Roses. His first major film role was iconic for fans of science fiction. He took on the role of the treacherous android Ash in Ridley Scott’s Alien in 1979.

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He would continue to take interesting roles in genre entertainment including Time Bandits, Brazil and more. He continued to take on dramatic and comedic roles until another character role arrived to raise his profile. In 1997, Holm took the role of priest Vito Cornelius who teams up with a motley crew to save the universe in The Fifth Element. He also took on the role of William Gull in the 2001 film adaptation of Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell’s comic book series From Hell.

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That same year he took on the role of Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings series. Holm returned to the character in two of the Hobbit films as well. Holm died of Parkinson’s related complications in the hospital surrounded by family. He was 88.

 

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