A Room With A View Star Julian Sands Dead At 65
British actor Julian Sands' death has been confirmed. Sands died at the age of 65 after going missing while hiking in the Mt. Baldy area in San Bernardino County, CA, per People. After five months, remains found in the area where Sands went missing have been positively identified as belonging to the actor.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department said in a statement, "The identification process for the body located on Mt. Baldy on June 24, 2023, has been completed and was positively identified as 65-year-old Julian Sands of North Hollywood. The manner of death is still under investigation, pending further test results."
Sands was an avid outdoorsman. "Close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning," he described his happiest moment to The Guardian in 2020. Worrying news about him started to emerge in the morning of January 19, when CNN reported that the actor had been missing since Friday, January 13. According to San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, the extremely difficult weather conditions in the area had already claimed two lives in the last weeks.
Sands is survived by his wife Evgenia Citkowitz and his three children.
Sands prospered in drama and horror alike
Sands was a commanding presence who acted in some of the greatest dramas of his age. One of his earliest movie roles was Jon Swain in 1984's Khmer Rouge drama "The Killing Fields," which won three Academy Awards. The very next year, he starred in the Helena Bonham Carter drama "A Room With A View," which also went on to win three Oscars. Sands' drama chops also include Mike Figgis' "Leaving Las Vegas," and on the TV front, he notably played Vladimir Bierko in "24" and Jor-El in "Smallville."
The actor was also well-known for his roles in horror movies. He even had his own horror franchise, "Warlock," where he played the titular villain for two movies before Bruce Payne took over for the third film. He also starred as Nick Cavanaugh in the body horror film "Boxing Helena," and had a significant role as Dr. Atherton in the spider-themed horror comedy "Arachnophobia."
Sands was a solid professional who could analyze his roles with great care. "For me, it was like a Shakespearean experience," he spoke of his "Warlock" role in an interview with Decider. "The warlock himself was a classical, whimsical stage villain in a rich, nuanced way. His use of language, his smile, his movement, his random wickedness ... It was a great treat to play."
Outside acting, he was equally thoughtful. "To be nice, and grab it with both hands, we know it is short," Sands once shared his most important lesson about life with The Guardian.