British Actor Ian Holm Dies at 88

British actor Ian Holm, best known for his roles in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Alien, died at the age of 88, the Guardian newspaper said on Friday.

The actor, who was nominated for Oscar for his 1981 film Chariots of Fire, died of Parkinson's related illness, the paper said.

“It is with great sadness that the actor Sir Ian Holm CBE passed away this morning at the age of 88,” his agent told the paper. “He died peacefully in hospital, with his family and carer. Charming, kind, and ferociously talented, we will miss him hugely.”

Holm started his career on stage as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company and achieved worldwide recognition when he was featured as an android Ash in the Alien film of 1979.

His role as an athletic coach at Chariots of Fire won him the British Academy Film Award (Bafta) and the Oscar Award for Best Supporting Actor, while Bilbo Baggins played in two of The Lord of the Rings films, a role he played in the recent The Hobbit Film Series.

Source: Reuters