'Lord of the Rings' and 'Alien' Star Ian Holm Died Aged 88 — A Glimpse into His Acting Career

Tragedy hits as "Alien" and "Lord of the Rings" actor, Ian Holm, dies at 88 — here's a glimpse into his six-decade-long career as an actor.

It's a sad time for the movie industry right now as news of veteran actor, Ian Holm's death just went public. Holm's agent confirmed the tragic news. He said:

"It is with great sadness that the actor Sir Ian Holm CBE passed away this morning at the age of 88. He died peacefully in hospital, with his family and carer."

He added that his illness was reportedly Parkinson's related and went on to list the late actor's desirable qualities. Holm's career spanned both screen and stage. He was born in 1931 in Essex.

His father had reportedly been a superintendent at the West Ham Corporation psychiatric hospital and Holm would later describe his life as a child there as "a pretty idyllic existence".

In 1976, Holm quit the theatre.

As a young boy, Holm fell in love with acting. He went to the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford after leaving Rada, London. There (Stratford), he became part of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1960 when it was founded.

Unfortunately, In 1976, during his performance of The Iceman Cometh, Holm quit the theatre after suffering a serious case of stage fright . He later talked about it, saying it was a scar on his memory that would never go away.

He came into prominence again after getting cast as "Bilbo Baggins" in the hit fantasy trilogy, "Lord of the rings" — he revived the role back later for the "Hobbit" film series.

After news of his death hit the public, fans and colleagues of the veteran actor took to social media to pay tribute. Actor Samuel West wrote in a tweet:

"Daughter just asked why I was so sad. Ian Holm died. - Who's Ian Holm? An actor. - A great actor? Yes. A great actor...RIP."

Holm is survived by five children and his 60-year-old wife, Sophie de Stempel, whom he married in 2003. RIP Holm!