Ian Holm, Bilbo Baggins In 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Alien' Star, Dies At 88

cold fjord writes: Sir Ian Holm, a classically trained actor celebrated for his interpretations of Shakespeare, and with an astonishing range of work in important science fiction and fantasy films, has died at age 88. Holm's depiction of King Lear was celebrated, and he brought Puck to life in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." But most people on Slashdot will remember him for a few other roles, such as Bilbo Baggins, in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, and two of the "Hobbit" movies. Holm also appeared in "Alien" as the android Ash, as Napoleon in "Time Bandits," and Cornelius in "The Fifth Element." Holm received a Tony Award in 1967, a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in 1998, a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1981, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in Chariots of Fire. Holm received royal honors in 1989 and 1998.

Re: Good guy

[gsdfa]

Farewell, King under the Mountain! he said. This is a bitter adventure, if it must end so; and not a mountain of gold can amend it. Yet I am glad that I have shared in your perils â" that has been more than any Baggins deserves.

Re:

[Joce640k]

I think we was in the Lord of the Rings and Aliens movies too.

It's almost as if you didn't read the article summary before posting.

Re: Good guy

[gsdfa]

A time honored tradition at /.

Re:

[AutodidactLabrat]

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So....you're opposed to authoritarianism like having voters shovelled into packed districts so their votes don't count? Oh, wait, that was tRump.
So....you're opposed to authoritarianism like having subpoena's by the House ignored during a criminal investigation of treason? Oh, wait, that was tRump.
Bitch, puhlease

Re: Trump 2020?

[NoMoreACs]

So who is going to vote Trump 2020? I am thinking I probably should. What about you guys? Anyone there?
Fortunately for the country, based on his plummeting poll numbers, less and less people are âoethereâ each and every day.

Ash in Alien

[PeeAitchPee]

I always thought the little bits he did in the beginning of the movie running in place and drinking milk were so cool, the kind of thing you don't pick up on the first few times through, that really added to the character. He played a good Bilbo but a really superb evil robot, one that mocked those humans he had lied to and left to die. R.I.P. to a great actor.

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[MrKaos]

a really superb evil robot, one that mocked those humans he had lied to and left to die.

"Ash is a god-damned robot"!!!

R.I.P. to a great actor.

"I can't lie to you about your chances, but you have my sympathies"

Thank you Sir Ian.

I don’t know half of you half as well as I s

[returnOfEssreenim]

like and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.

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[BarryHaworth]

Whoever downvoted this mustn't have got the allusion.

Bernard Sampson

[thadtheman]

He also played Bernard Sampson in the BBC adaptation of Len Deighton works , "Game,Set and Match".

and Father Cornelius in The Fifth Element

[bobstreo]

Great actor, large body of work, almost always made whatever he was in better.

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[chispito]

Great actor, large body of work, almost always made whatever he was in better.

Agreed. Reminds me of Patrick Stewart--not afraid to elevate popular material with classical proficiency.

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

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[oh-dark-thirty]

Oh forgot about that one. Good call out.

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[freeze128]

I can think of 2 things wrong with the title of that movie...

RIP In Peace

[Anonymouse Cowtard]

Another one lost, 2020 sux

Now we'll never see -

[sheramil]

... he would have made an excellent Iucounu the Laughing Magician in a film or tv version of Jack Vance's "The Eyes of the Overworld".

I miss the days when pics were included

[RecycledElectrons]

Today copyright laws make it a felony to show pics of the actor in his many roles.

Maybe we should set up an copyfree autonomous zone?

Re: I miss the days when pics were included

[jd]

Pics are permitted under copyright. Fair use is valid even in America. It's controlled to an insane degree, but it's allowed.

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[phantomfive]

The article has a few pictures, but there's a bunch of pictures and a great tribute movie at IMDB [imdb.com].

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Misread headline

[jd]

Thought it was claiming Bilbo Baggins was a character in Alien.

Alien was filmed, at least in part, just northwest of where I am.

Farewell, Frodo!

[BarryHaworth]

For me, Ian Holm's most memorable role was that of Frodo in the 1981 BBC Radio dramatisation [wikipedia.org] of The Lord of the Rings. Which remains the definitive adaptation of that book, in my opinion.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Lord Of The Rings - BBC Radio Drama, Fantasy [archive.org]

There must be a mistake

[hcs_$reboot]

He was 111 at the beginning of the LOTR

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[chispito]

Ooof! My mistake! I thought he hungered for elevenses!

That was Pippin, you philistine.

The Aviator

[blindseer]

I remember him as the nervous professor in The Aviator. I recall the character had some rather shitty jobs given to him as the closest thing to a computer they had access to at the time. I thought the portrayal was well done and certainly memorable. I might have to seek that movie out this weekend for a re-watch.

Brazil

[Evtim]

Has anybody seen Sam Lowry?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=... [youtube.com]

88

[Joe2020]

Oh God, there's that number again. What does it mean???

Wrong choice for The Hobbit

[GlobalEcho]

He played a great Bilbo in Jackson's adaptation of Lord Of The Rings, but, to me, he was insufficiently agile to play the part in The Hobbit. It showed whenever he had, say, some rocks to step over.

There was enough to dislike about Jackson's Hobbit trilogy that his casting was but a minor fault. But I prefer to remember him from his other, far greater, work.

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[Joe2020]

You fault an old man for his lack of agility? You suck, Sir!

But what about Brazil?

[Chissblue]

One of his best roles was playing Tutles boss in the Terry Giliam movie Brazil. Oh well I guess great movies get forgotten.

Game, Set, Match

[Duh-People-Really]

One of the best TV series (played on PBS in the US) ever made. Of course the young ones would not understand as it was all about the Cold War where you could not go to East Berlin.

His work in "The Fifth Element" and the "Lord of the Rings" Trilogy were superb. It seems he would pop-up at odd times in many films. Great actor who appears to have been a decent man.

My condolences to his family.