Stage and Screen Actor Julian Sands Confirmed Dead at 65 Following Disappearance

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that the death of stage and screen actor Julian Sands has been confirmed.

Deadline has reported that human remains found by hikers earlier this week have been confirmed to be a match to Sands. He had been missing since mid-January of this year. According to a statement, his cause of death has yet to be confirmed. Sands was 65 years old.

Read the original story on Deadline.

Julian Sands is best known for his breakout role as George Emerson in A Room with a View (1985). Other notable films he has appeared in include The Killing Fields (1984), Warlock (1989), Arachnophobia (1990), Naked Lunch (1991), Boxing Helena (1993), Leaving Las Vegas (1995), The Medallion (2003), Ocean's Thirteen (2007), and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011).

On television, he portrayed Vladimir Bierko in 24 (2006), Jor-El in Smallville (2009–2010), and voiced Valmont in Jackie Chan Adventures (2000–2002).

Sands' early stage work includes performances in productions of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "The Seagull." He made his Broadway debut in 1984 in the play "Preludes," which was followed by a role in the 1985 production of "Breaking the Code." Sands also appeared in the 1995 Broadway revival of "The Tempest," playing the role of Ferdinand.

In addition, Sands appeared onstage in August 2011 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in A Celebration of Harold Pinter, directed by John Malkovich at the Pleasance Courtyard. The play transferred to the Irish Repertory Theatre, in New York. He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance for this role.

Sands also played Erik, aka the Phantom in the 1998 horror-film version of The Phantom of the Opera. 

Photo Credit: Genevieve Rafter Keddy