by Nathaniel R
If you haven't yet heard, beloved actor Sir Ian Holm (Chariots of Fire, From Hell, Ratatouille) passed away on Friday at the age of 88. He started working professionally as an actor in his twenties in the 1950s and he didn't stop working until just a handful of years ago with two final appearances in Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy. In his long career he won the Tony (The Homecoming), the Olivier (King Lear) and the BAFTA twice (Boros Gun and Chariots of Fire) though Oscar, sadly, kept missing the chance to honor him.
After the jump 10 roles that hold special meaning for this particular moviegoer...
Alien (1979) because it's such a classic and who can ever forget his disembodied android head?
Time Bandits (1981) because it was the first time I actually saw him at the movies
Chariots of Fire (1981) because it brought him his only Oscar nomination.
Greystroke (1984) because he would have made a great Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominee (it was his co-star Sir Ralph Richardson, also in fine form in the movie, who was nominated posthumously instead.)
Dance With a Stranger (1985) because the movie is underrappreciated and all three stars (Miranda Richardson & Rupert Everett headline) were all on fire
Dreamchild (1986) because it's a challenging and memorable biopic (of sorts) on the writing of Alice in Wonderland. Coral Browne as the grown Alice is amazing in it.
The Sweet Hereafter (1997) because he should have won the Best Actor Oscar. Alas, he was not nominated.
Joe Gould's Secret (2000) because he was very memorable in this late career indie.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) because the story begins with Bilbo Baggins, doesn't it?
The Aviator (2004) because it was his fifth and final appearance in a Best Picture nominee and because we always loved watching him whenever he'd pop up unexpectedly in a stuffed cast onscreen. (The other four BP nominees he co-starred in were Nicholas and Alexandra, Chariots of Fire, and two of the Lord of the Rings movies.)
What are you favourites from Sir Ian Holm's filmography?