R.I.P. Ian Holm

R.I.P. to actor Sir Ian Holm, who died June 19 at age eighty eight. Sad, but that's a pretty good run.

Holm was a world-class actor and a member of the Royal Shakespeare company. He won numerous award during his long career, including the Laurence Olivier Award, a Tony and a BAFTA. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for his role in Chariots Of Fire.

Although Holm was in over a hundred movies, I was unfamiliar with his work until his role as the twitchy, villainous Ash in 1979's ALIEN. 

He then starred in a whole slew of sci-fi and fantasy films, including Time Bandits, Brazil, The Fifth Element, Naked Lunch, Mary Shelly's Frankenstein and eXistenZ.

Holm's probably best known though for playing Bilbo Baggins in The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.

As most fans know, Peter Jackson shot both Tolkien trilogies in the far off land of New Zealand, which is about as far away as you can get from anywhere. When he agreed to film The Hobbit movies, he desperately wanted Ian Holm to return as Old Bilbo in a flashback sequence.

Unfortunately Holm had to tell Jackson he couldn't appear in the movies, as his health prevented him from making the grueling flight from the UK to New Zealand.

Determined to cast him no matter what, Jackson packed up his crew, built a Bag End set in London and filmed all of Holm's scenes there in the UK! Cool!

Fun Fact: At one point Holm was married to actress Penelope Wilton, aka Shaun's mom in Shaun Of The Dead!