Actor Julian Sands died whereas climbing on California mountain, authorities affirm

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Actor Julian Sands, who starred in a number of Oscar-nominated movies within the late Eighties and ‘90s together with “A Room With a View” and “Leaving Las Vegas,” was discovered lifeless on a Southern California mountain 5 months after he disappeared whereas climbing, authorities stated Tuesday.

An investigation confirmed that it was Sands whose stays hikers discovered Saturday within the wilderness close to Mount Baldy, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department stated. The 65-year-old actor was an avid and skilled hiker who lived in Los Angeles and was reported lacking Jan. 13 after setting out on the height that rises greater than 10,000 toes (3,048 meters) east of the town. Crews aided by drones and helicopters had looked for him a number of occasions, however, severely hampered by wintry situations that lasted by spring, no signal of him was discovered till the civilian hikers stumbled on him.

The probabilities of Sands being found alive had lengthy since diminished to almost nothing, however the Sheriff’s Department, which carried out an official search the day earlier than he was discovered, emphasised that the case remained energetic.

An post-mortem has been carried out, however additional check outcomes are wanted earlier than the reason for dying could be decided, authorities stated.

Sands, who was born, raised and commenced appearing in England, labored continually in movie and tv, amassing greater than 150 credit in a 40-year profession. During a 10-year span from 1985 to 1995, he performed main roles in a collection of acclaimed movies.

After finding out on the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, Sands launched into a profession in stage and movie, enjoying small elements in movies together with “Oxford Blues” and “The Killing Fields.” He landed the starring position of George Emerson, who falls in love with Helena Bonham Carter’s Lucy Honeychurch whereas on vacation in Tuscany, within the 1985 British romance, “A Room With a View.”

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The movie from director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant received the British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for finest movie, and was nominated for eight Oscars, profitable three.

In the wake of its success, Sands moved to the United States to pursue a profession in Hollywood.

He performed the title position within the 1989 horror fantasy “Warlock” and its sequel. In the 1990 horror comedy “Arachnophobia,” with Jeff Daniels and John Goodman, Sands performed an entomologist specializing in spiders.

The following yr he appeared in director David Cronenberg’s surreal adaptation of the William Burroughs novel “Naked Lunch” in 1991.

In 1993, Sands starred within the thriller “Boxing Helena,” a film that drew main media consideration throughout manufacturing when Madonna and Kim Basinger every accepted the title position earlier than backing out. The half would go to “Twin Peaks” actor Sherilyn Fenn. The movie flopped.

Author Anne Rice championed Sands to play the titular Lestat within the much-hyped 1994 Hollywood adaptation of her novel “Interview With the Vampire,” however the position would go to Tom Cruise.

In 1995’s “Leaving Las Vegas,” Sands performed an abusive Latvian pimp alongside Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue. The movie was nominated for 4 Oscars, with Cage profitable finest actor.

Sands touted his love of the outside in a 2020 interview with the Guardian, saying he was happiest when “close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning” and that his greatest dream was scaling “a remote peak in the high Himalayas, such as Makalu.”

The actor stated within the interview that within the early Nineties, he was caught in an “atrocious” storm within the Andes and was fortunate to outlive when three others close to his occasion didn’t.

After “Leaving Las Vegas,” the standard of the movies Sands was solid in, and the scale of his roles, started declining. He labored steadily, showing in director Wim Wenders’ “The Million Dollar Hotel” and director Dario Argento’s “The Phantom of the Opera.”

He additionally appeared as a visitor star or in recurring roles on TV collection together with “24,” “Medici,” “Smallville,” “Dexter,” “Gotham” and “Elementary.” His last movie was 2022’s “The Ghosts of Monday.”

Sands was born in Yorkshire, the center little one of 5 brothers raised by a single mom. He had three youngsters of his personal.

He had been married since 1990 to journalist Evgenia Citkowitz, with whom he had two grownup daughters, Imogen Morley Sands and Natalya Morley Sands. His eldest little one was son Henry Sands, whom he had together with his first spouse, journalist Sarah Harvey.

A number of days earlier than he was discovered, Sands’ household issued a press release saying, “We continue to hold Julian in our hearts with bright memories of him as a wonderful father, husband, explorer, lover of the natural world and the arts, and as an original and collaborative performer.”

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