Actor Julian Sands died in a January hiking accident on Mount Baldy in southern California, authorities confirmed on Tuesday. The announcement brings to an end the five-month investigation into the actor’s whereabouts after he vanished without a trace during a solo hike on the dangerous mountain.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s office announced that coroners have positively identified the human remains discovered last week by hikers as belonging to Julian Sands, who was 65.
“The manner of death is still under investigation, pending further test results,” the sheriff’s office said. “We would like to extend our gratitude to all the volunteers that worked tirelessly to locate Mr. Sands.”
Julian Sands — who starred in numerous movies including The Killing Fields, A Room with a View, Warlock, Impromptu, Naked Lunch, and Ocean’s Thirteen — was reported missing January 13 after embarking on a hike on Mount Baldy, located about an hour east of Los Angeles.
The actor, who lived in North Hollywood, was an accomplished hiker and outdoorsman who had scaled some of the most dangerous peaks around the world. He had hiked Mount Baldy numerous times but the mountain contains difficult passes even for experienced hikers.
Authorities launched an investigation but were stymied by unusually harsh weather conditions that persisted well into June. The actor’s car was located January 20 in a parking area at Mount Baldy.
On Saturday, hikers found human remains near a Mount Baldy hiking trail. The remains were transported to the San Bernardino Sheriff’s coroner’s office for identification.
A portrait of the British actor Julian Sands, star of The Killing Fields, A Room With A View, Arachnophobia and Naked Lunch. Munich, Germany. (Photo by Kurt Krieger/Corbis via Getty Images)
Born in England, Sands rose to fame in the 80s for his dashing good looks and enigmatic screen presence. His first major movie was 1984’s The Killing Fields, in which he had a supporting role playing a war correspondent in Cambodia during the rise of the Khmer Rouge.
Sands appeared in the movie alongside actor John Malkovich, with whom he would form a lifelong friendship.
His first major role was in Merchant Ivory’s adaptation of E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View playing the idealistic romantic George Emerson opposite Helena Bonham Carter’s muddled Lucy Honeychurch.
While Hollywood beckoned, Sands gravitated toward independent cinema, working with a host of notable auteurs including Mike Figgis, David Cronenberg, and Ken Russell.
Actors Julian Sands and Stacey Dash in a scene from the movie ‘Tennessee Waltz’, 1989. (Stanley Bielecki Movie Collection/Getty)
British actor Julian Sands and Italian actress Giuliana De Sio looking into the camera in the film The Wicked. Italy, 1991 (Rino Petrosino/Mondadori via Getty)
His eclectic career included a handful of mainstream Hollywood titles including the TV series 24, in which he had a recurring role; as well as Ocean’s Thirteen; and David Fincher’s Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, in which he played the younger version of the Christopher Plummer character.
Sands also acted on stage, most notably in a solo show devoted to the poetry of playwright Harold Pinter. The actor performed the show in cities throughout the world over a period of a decade, starting around 2010. The production was directed by John Malkovich.
Julian Sands is survived by his wife, the writer Evgenia Citkowitz, with whom he had two children. He also had a son, Henry, from a prior marriage.
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