Julian Sands has been found dead: Five months after going missing during a trip in the snowy mountains of Southern California, the death of British-born actor Julian Sands, best known for his part in the Oscar-celebrated film “A Room with a View,” was confirmed on Tuesday. He was 65. According to the county sheriff’s office, the San Bernardino County coroner has confirmed that human remains found by hikers on June 25 near where Sands disappeared are indeed those of the actor.
The agency stated that the circumstances of his death were still being probed and awaiting the results of more tests. An outdoor enthusiast and mountain climber named Sands was reported missing on January 13 when he failed to return after a solo hike in the San Gabriel Mountains’ Baldy Bowl, located around 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Los Angeles.
Hikers on Saturday discovered human remains in the forest near Mount Baldy; the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department determined that they were those of Sands after an investigation. The Los Angeles-based actor, 65, went missing on January 13 after setting out to climb the mountain located east of the city at an elevation of over 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). Crews using drones and helicopters had looked for him many times. However, they had been greatly impeded by the persistent winter weather far into spring before the civilian hikers stumbled upon him.
It’s been five months since Julian Sands disappeared
After a solo hike in the Baldy Bowl area of the San Gabriel Mountains, roughly 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Los Angeles, on January 13, enthusiastic outdoorsman and climber Julian Sands was reported missing.
The 65-year-old actor was reported missing on January 13 after his last sighting on Mt. Baldy. Search and rescue crews have been combing the mountain ever since. On June 17, authorities provided an update on the search effort, saying that many mountain areas remained inaccessible due to “extreme alpine conditions,” such as steep terrain and ravines buried in more than 10 feet of ice and snow.
The broad, sloping region below Mount Baldy’s summit is a favorite spot for skiers, climbers, and travelers. Heavy snow from weeks of winter storms rendered the area dangerous for outdoor enjoyment, officials said at the time. The previous week had seen lows in the mid-20s Fahrenheit (around 4 to minus 4 Celsius) at night.
On Sunday, January 15, the sheriff’s department claimed that cellphone signals indicated Sands heading toward the ridge of Mount Baldy. This was likely the final hint that he was still on the run.
In a statement released by the sheriff’s office on June 21, the actor’s family said that they “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,” even though he has been missing for more than five months.
In an interview with the Guardian published in 2020, Sands said he felt most at peace when he was “close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning.” In the early 1990s, he and three companions were climbing in the Andes when they were caught in a storm at more than 20,000 feet (6,000 meters).
Almost 80 SAR personnel and volunteers were involved in the search that day. The sheriff’s office reported that inaccessible regions were searched by two helicopters and drone workers.
Julian Sands Biography and Career
Sands, an actor who was born, bred and began his career in England, maintained a busy schedule during his 40-year career, appearing in over 150 films and television shows. From 1985 through 1995, he had a successful acting career, appearing in several critically praised films.
Sands began his career in theater and cinema after attending London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, with roles in films including Oxford Blues and The Killing Fields. He played the lead part of George Emerson in the 1985 British romantic comedy A Room With a View, opposite Helena Bonham Carter’s Lucy Honeychurch.
In 1989’s horror fantasy Warlock and 1990’s sequel, he portrayed the title character in both films. Sands played a spider expert entomologist in the 1990 horror-comedy Arachnophobia, which also starred Jeff Daniels and John Goodman. In 1991, he starred in David Cronenberg’s Strange Naked Lunch, based on a novel by William Burroughs.
Sands was featured in the 1993 suspense film Boxing Helena. Despite author Anne Rice’s best efforts, Tom Cruise was cast in the lead role of Lestat in the 1994 film adaptation of her novel Interview with the Vampire. Sands starred opposite Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue in the 1995 film Leaving Las Vegas, in which he portrayed an aggressive Latvian pimp.
The TV shows “24,” “Medici,” “Smallville,” “Dexter,” “Gotham,” and “Elementary” all featured him as a guest star or recurring cast member. The film “The Ghosts of Monday” (2020) was his last.
Before his discovery, Sands’ family released a statement in which they said, “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.”