We are sad to report that British stage & screen actor Ian Holm has died in London aged 88, his agent confirmed to the Guardian. He has many well-known roles in Film & TV including Ash in Alien, Father Vito Cornelius in The Fifth Element, Chef Skinner in Ratatouille, and Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film series.
“It is with great sadness that the actor Sir Ian Holm CBE passed away this morning at the age of 88,”
His agents have said.
“He died peacefully in hospital, with his family and carer,”
They added that his illness was Parkinson’s related. They said he was:
“Charming, kind and ferociously talented, we will miss him hugely.”
Over his long career he received many awards including 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 won the 1981 BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role as athletics trainer Sam Mussabini in Chariots of Fire, for which he was also nominated for an Academy Award.
Many have paid tribute to the late actor on Twitter