ACTOR · BORN 1931 · DIED 2020
Ian Holm
- Born
- 12 September 1931, Goodmayes, Essex, England, UK
- Died
- 19 June 2020
- Known for
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), Ratatouille (2007)
37 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
19 Interesting Facts About Ian Holm
- #001
In 1976, while performing in "The Iceman Cometh," Ian Holm developed severe stage fright and left the theatre. He has returned only three times since.
- #002
Ian Holm hated milk. Having to gargle and spit repeatedly during the final scene of Alien (1979) made him very uncomfortable.
- #007
Ian Holm was set to play Pope John Paul II in a CBS miniseries but had to leave the production for undisclosed "personal reasons." Jon Voight replaced him.
- #009
Along with Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, Ian Holm played both Dr. Frankenstein and the Creature.
- #011
Ian Holm underwent treatment for prostate cancer in 2001.
- #014
Ian Holm was an Associate Member of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).
- #017
Ian Holm voiced radio announcements for New York-Presbyterian Medical Center (New York City, USA), where he was treated for prostate cancer (2002).
- #018
Ian Holm worked with two Frodos: Christopher Guard in Les Misérables (1978) and Elijah Wood in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Holm also played Frodo in a BBC Radio production. He worked with three more Bilbos: Norman Bird (from Ralph Bakshi's film) in Oh! What a Lovely War (1969) and Young Winston (1972); Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013); and John Le Mesurier in a BBC Radio production.
- #019
Ian Holm shared two roles with Orson Bean. Bean voiced Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit (1977), while Holm played him in Peter Jackson's trilogy. Bean also played Frodo in The Return of the King (1980); Holm played Frodo on BBC radio.
- #020
Ian Holm had no apparent objection to being buried up to his neck in pursuit of his craft, as it happened to him in at least three films: Alien (1979), Brazil (1985) and Simon Magus (1999).
- #024
When he returned to the Royal Shakespeare Company in the mid-1960s, where he first won acclaim for his contemporary-styled "Richard III" and "Henry V", Ian Holm developed a crippling case of stage fright during his 1976 performance in "The Iceman Cometh" and quickly withdrew from the production. For nearly twenty years his only stage appearance was as Astrov in "Uncle Vanya" in 1979. He finally returned to the theatre in 1993 to create the role of Andy in Harold Pinter's short play "Moonlight", winning an Evening Standard Award for it. "King Lear" a few years later earned him an Olivier Award as well as Evening Standard and London Critic's Circle Theatre awards.
- #027
His remains were cremated at Breakspear Crematorium in Ruislip, England.
- #028
After directing him in the film Henry V (1989), Kenneth Branagh described Ian Holm's acting style as "Anything you can do, I can do less of".
- #029
He appeared in six films with David Warner: The Bofors Gun (1968), The Fixer (1968), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1969), Holocaust (1978), S.O.S. Titanic (1979) and Time Bandits (1981).
- #030
He played a meteorologist in both The Day After Tomorrow (2004) (as Professor Terry Rapson) and The Aviator (2004) (as Professor Fitz).
- #032
Ian Holm shared two roles with Christian Clavier. Both played Thénardier from "Les Misérables". Thénardier calls himself "The Sergeant of Napoleon" and even gives his inn that name. Fittingly, both Holm and Clavier also played Napoleon himself.
- #033
He shares two roles with the other two Bilbos. He and Orson Bean both played Frodo Baggins, while he and Martin Freeman both played King Richard III.
- #036
Ian Holm was addicted to films from an early age.
- #037
He was born on exactly the same date as Bill McKinney, known for "Deliverance".
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