Julian Sands, the talented and respected actor known for his ability to convincingly bring characters both villainous and heroic to life, has died. He was 65.
Born on January 4, 1958, in West Yorkshire, Sands began his film career in 1984, appearing in Oxford Blues and Best Picture Oscar nominee The Killing Fields. His breakthrough was being cast as the romantic lead in 1985’s A Room With A View opposite Helena Bonham Carter. That was his springboard to Hollywood, where he moved in search of larger roles.
Sands appeared in the title role in 1989's Warlock and its 1993 sequel, Warlock: The Armageddon. Other film appearances included Impromptu, Naked Lunch, Arachnophobia, Boxing Helena, and Leaving Las Vegas. Sands also played the Phantom in the 1998 horror-film version of The Phantom Of The Opera, then switched gears to star opposite Jackie Chan in the 2003 action-comedy The Medallion.
His small screen work included Crossbones, Stargate SG-1, The L Word, The Castle and Dexter.
A hiking and outdoors enthusiast, Sands had been on a hike at California's Mount Baldy in January when he disappeared. A search was mounted shortly afterwards, but was halted due to bad weather at the time. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s office announced that hikers had found remains at the weekend that have since been confirmed as Sands'. His cause of death has not been released.
Sands is survived by his wife, journalist Evgenia Citkowitz, whom he married in 1990; their daughters Imogen Morley Sands and Natalya Morley Sands; and a son, Henry Sands, with his ex-wife journalist Sarah Sands.