Julian Richard Morley Sands (4 January 1958 – ) was an English actor. He had his breakout role as George Emerson in '' A Room with a View'' (1985) and went on to appear in '' The Killing Fields'' (1984), '' Gothic'' (1986), '' Siesta'' (1987), ''

Warlock A warlock is a male practitioner of witchcraft. Etymology and terminology The most commonly accepted etymology derives '' warlock'' from the Old English '' wǣrloga'', which meant "breaker of oaths" or "deceiver". The term came to apply special ...

'' (1989), ''

Arachnophobia Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders and other arachnids such as scorpions and ticks. The word "arachnophobia" comes from the Greek words arachne and phobia. Signs and symptoms People with arachnophobia tend to feel uneasy in any area they b ...

'' (1990), ''

Naked Lunch ''Naked Lunch'' (first published as ''The Naked Lunch'') is a 1959 novel by American author William S. Burroughs. The novel does not follow a clear linear plot, but is instead structured as a series of non-chronological "routines". Many of thes ...

'' (1991), '' Boxing Helena'' (1993), ''

Leaving Las Vegas ''Leaving Las Vegas'' is a 1995 romantic drama film written and directed by Mike Figgis and based on the 1990 semi-autobiographical novel by John O'Brien. Nicolas Cage stars as a suicidal alcoholic in Los Angeles who, having lost his family ...

'' (1995), '' The Medallion'' (2003), ''

Ocean's Thirteen ''Ocean's Thirteen'' is a 2007 heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien. It is the third in the ''Ocean's'' film trilogy and a sequel to ''Ocean's Twelve'' (2004). The film features an en ...

'' (2007), and ''

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'' (original title in ) is a psychological thriller novel by Swedish author Stieg Larsson. It was published posthumously in 2005, translated into English in 2008, and became an international bestseller. ''T ...

'' (2011). His television roles included Nick Hardaway in '' Rose Red'' (2002), Vladimir Bierko in '' 24'' (2006),

Jor-El Jor-El is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, Jor-El first appeared in the Superman (comic strip), ''Superman'' newspaper comic strip in 1939. Jor-El is Supe ...

in ''

Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produce ...

'' (2009–2010), and the voice of Valmont in '' Jackie Chan Adventures'' (2000–2002). In January 2023, Sands went missing while hiking in the

San Gabriel Mountains The San Gabriel Mountains () are a mountain range located in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, California, United States. The mountain range is part of the Transverse Ranges and lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert ...

. Five months later, his remains were discovered in the area he had been visiting.

Early life

Julian Richard Morley Sands was born in

Otley Otley is a market town and civil parish at a bridging point on the River Wharfe, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the population was 13,668 at the 2011 c ...

on 4 January 1958, the son of Conservative Party councillor Brenda (née Leach) and soil analyst William Sands. His mother was also a leading figure in the local amateur dramatic society. He was educated at Lord Wandsworth College in Long Sutton, Hampshire, then studied at London's Central School of Speech and Drama.

Career

Sands began his film career appearing in supporting roles in films, including '' Oxford Blues'' (1984) and '' The Killing Fields'' (1984). He also had a cameo as a Greek soldier in the BBC adaptation of '' The Box of Delights'' in 1984. He appeared opposite

John Hurt Sir John Vincent Hurt (22 January 1940 – 28 January 2017) was an English actor. Regarded as one of the finest actors of his time and known for the "most distinctive voice in Cinema of the United Kingdom, Britain", he was described by David Ly ...

in the Swiss horror film '' After Darkness'' in 1985. He was cast as the romantic lead in the 1985 film '' A Room with a View''. Following the success of ''A Room with a View'' and

Ken Russell Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films were mainly liberal adaptations of ...

's '' Gothic'' (1986) Sands dropped out of '' Maurice'' and decided to move to Hollywood to pursue a career in American films, where he appeared in a range of roles. Julian Sands Cannes nineties

Sands played the title role in the horror film ''

'' (1989) and its sequel '' Warlock: The Armageddon'' (1993), the role of

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

in ''Impromptu'' (1991), the role of Yves Cloquet in ''

'' (1991), and prominent roles in ''

'' (1990), '' Boxing Helena'' (1993), ''Tale of a Vampire'' (1992), and ''

'' (1995). He played Erik, aka the Phantom in the 1998 horror-film version of '' The Phantom of the Opera''. He played

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

in BBC Four's ''In Praise of Hardcore'' (2005), a drama about the critic and impresario

Kenneth Tynan Kenneth Peacock Tynan (2 April 1927 – 26 July 1980) was an English theatre critic and writer. Initially making his mark as a critic at ''The Observer'', he praised John Osborne's ''Look Back in Anger'' (1956) and encouraged the emerging wave ...

. In television work, he voiced Valmont in seasons 1 and 2 of '' Jackie Chan Adventures'', before being replaced by Andrew Ableson and Greg Ellis in the remaining seasons. He played the Doci of the Ori in two episodes of the ninth season of ''

Stargate SG-1 ''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction Adventure fiction, adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wrig ...

'' (a role he reprised in the film, '' Stargate: the Ark of Truth''). He played a college professor in a Season One episode of ''

The L Word ''The L Word'' is a television drama series that aired on Showtime in the United States from 2004 to 2009. The series follows the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women who live in West Hollywood, California. The premise originated wit ...

''. In 2002, he starred in

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...

's '' Rose Red'' and the Austrian ambassador

Klemens von Metternich Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar, Prince of Metternich-Winneburg zu Beilstein ( ; 15 May 1773 – 11 June 1859), known as Klemens von Metternich () or Prince Metternich, was a German statesman and diplomat in the service of the Austrian Empire. ...

in the miniseries Napoléon. In the 2006 season of '' 24'', he played terrorist Vladimir Bierko. Sands played

Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...

's father, in the ninth season of ''

'', and reprised the role in the series' final (tenth) season. In 2009, he played Reg Hunt in '' Bollywood Hero''.Bollywood Hero
, ''Boston Herald''. Retrieved 4 May 2014. In 2012, he played Alistair Wesley in the seventh episode of the second season of ''

Person of Interest "Person of interest" is a term used by law enforcement in the United States, Canada, and other countries when identifying someone possibly involved in a criminal investigation who has not been arrested or formally accused of a crime. It has no leg ...

''. In August 2011, he appeared onstage at the

Edinburgh Fringe Festival The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as the Edinburgh Fringe, the Fringe or the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest performance arts festival, which in 2024 spanned 25 days, sold more than 2.6 million tickets and featur ...

in ''A Celebration of

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...

'', directed by John Malkovich at the Pleasance Courtyard. The play transferred to the Irish Repertory Theatre, in New York. His performance in the play was nominated for "Outstanding Solo Performance" for the 58th Annual Drama Desk Awards (2013). In 2011, Sands appeared in the mystery thriller film ''

'', an English-language remake of the original version, as the younger Henrik Vanger. In 2012, Sands voiced the character of DeFalco in '' Call of Duty: Black Ops 2''. In 2013, Sands appeared as Miles Castner, a wealthy international businessman, during the eighth season of '' Dexter''."Julian Sands to appear in ''Dexter''"
, ''TV Guide''. Retrieved 22 April 2014.

Personal life

Sands was married to Sarah Harvey, a British journalist and author, from 1984 until 1987. The couple had one son. On 22 September 1990, Sands married Evgenia Citkowitz – an American playwright, author, and journalist who is the daughter of Polish-American composer Israel Citkowitz and Lady Caroline Blackwood – after being introduced by John Malkovich, a friend of Sands. The couple had two daughters. Sands was fiercely protective of his family and rarely spoke about his wife or children in interviews. Sands and his family lived in Los Angeles in the United States from 1990 until his death.

Disappearance and death

On 13 January 2023, Sands, a dedicated mountaineer, went hiking at

Mount San Antonio Mount San Antonio, commonly referred to as Mount Baldy or Old Baldy, is a summit in the San Gabriel Mountains on the border of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties of California. Lying within the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument an ...

, California, in the

northeast of Los Angeles, and was reported missing later that evening. The initial search was hampered by severe storms that occurred shortly after he went missing. His car was located on 18 January. The following day, it was reported that Sands' three adult children had joined the ground search for their father. His son Henry, along with an experienced climber, was retracing the route his father was believed to have taken. According to reports, Sands's mobile phone was last tracked from a pinged location on 15 January, suggesting it had run out of power. Around the time of his disappearance, Sands was believed to be traversing the Baldy Bowl Trail, "which climbs over to the highest summit in the San Gabriel Mountains".. Reports state there was "evidence of

avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a Grade (slope), slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be triggered spontaneously, by factors such as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, othe ...

s" in the region. A representative of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department (SBSD) confirmed that "the air search is being resumed, but we have not been able to resume a ground search yet due to icy conditions and a threat of avalanches." The Sands family put out a statement on the 11th day after Sands went missing, praising "the heroic search teams" and their efforts "on the ground and in the air to bring Julian home". On 25 January, Nick Sands, one of Sands's four brothers, was quoted by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

as saying, "I have come to terms with the fact he's gone and for me that's how I've dealt with it." Henry Sands told ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' on 14 April that he was "of course, realistic about the impact on the search of the weather conditions over the last three months", in light of the 40-year record snowfall in California, and that he looked forward to the resumption of the search as the weather improved and that the search for his father continues. On 19 June, five months after Sands disappearance, the SBSD posted an update stating that more than 80 search and rescue volunteers had descended into remote areas across Mount Baldy to search for Sands on 17 June. The advisory stated that since January, there had been eight official search missions to find Sands, exceeding 500 volunteer search hours. On 23 June, the Sands family released a statement 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." On 24 June, hikers found human remains in the area where Sands had disappeared. The remains were positively identified as Sands's on 27 June. On 24 July, the cause of death was listed as "undetermined" due to "the condition of the body ... hich iscommon when dealing with cases of this type."

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

References

External links

*
''The Guardian'' interview
19 August 2000. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sands, Julian 1958 births 2023 deaths 2020s missing person cases 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Actors from the City of Leeds Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama English expatriate male actors in the United States English male film actors English male television actors English male video game actors English male voice actors Formerly missing British people Male actors from West Yorkshire Missing English people Missing person cases in California Mountaineering deaths People educated at Lord Wandsworth College People from Otley Sports deaths in California Unsolved deaths in California