We have some sad news to report this morning as Sir Ian Holm, the British actor best known for his roles in The Lord of the Rings, Alien, Brazil and Chariots of Fire, has passed away. He had been battling Parkinson’s Disease for a few years, although it was not really made public at the time. His final role on screen was in 2014’s The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies but he had been able to appear in person just this past January to collect the Newport Beach Film Festival’s Icon Award. He was 88 years old. His agent released the following statement:

“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.”

Holm got his start on stage after graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1953 and stayed with the Royal Shakespeare Company well into the 1960s before transitioning to the screen. His role as the android Ash in Ridley Scott’s Alien in 1979 opened new doors and he soon found himself starring in Hugh Hudson’s Chariots of Fire, which earned him a nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Over the next few decades he appeared in such films as Time Bandits, Brazil, Naked Lunch, The Fifth Element, The Sweet Hereafter, From Hell and The Aviator. For many people, however, he will always be remembered as Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s adaptations of The Lord of the Rings. What are your favourite Ian Holm performances?