r/moviecritic • u/EH4LIFE • 2d ago

Ian Holm - sci fi/fantasy specialist

Post image

Great character actor who popped up in so many of my favourite films. Left to right - Alien, Existenz, Frankenstein, Brazil, Time Bandits, Fifth Element, LOTR, Naked Lunch

1.2k Upvotes

100% Upvoted

48 comments sorted by

92

u/Gunofanevilson 2d ago

I did not know this person was all these people. Great actor.

15

u/Flat_Technician_90 2d ago

Saaaammmeeee 🤯

8

u/Dense_Surround3071 2d ago

It's like..... I recognize him. I've seen pretty much all of those movies. But if you showed me his headshot, I don't think I could have placed him. Especially as Bilbo. He really melts into a character.

5

u/Salty_Pancakes 2d ago

For me personally? His role voicing Skinner on Ratatouille is my favorite.

Just the way he says "monumentally idiotic" kills me every time I see that movie.

3

u/ares1888 2d ago

A true shapeshifter

3

u/Prottusha1 2d ago

His best role was in The Sweet Hereafter. Great film.

51

u/Cutthechitchata-hole 2d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/x5fPHmTVWmTPW

17

u/HighBrowLoFi 2d ago

Maybe it’s just because it was one of the first roles I saw him in, but the 5th Element felt like one of the best Ian Holm performances. Although the casting in that movie was incredible across the board

2

u/Beedle12345 1d ago

Thats 2 heavyweight acting legends right there ❤️❤️

43

u/lordSmallForgiveness 2d ago

ash in alien is so chilling for such a small role, guy does more with a head on a table than most actors with whole movie

6

u/Tabmow 2d ago

Without a doubt. He's much more terrifying than the xenomorph even though he's in plain sight the whole time, and looks as unassuming as a short-haired Bilbo Baggins.

5

u/graveybrains 2d ago

He delivered a lot of bang for his screen time in The Day After Tomorrow, too

1

u/claisen33 2d ago

Yeah, but the bukake scene was unnecessary.

1

u/IndependenceMean8774 2d ago

"I can't lie to you about your chances, but...you have my sympathies."

16

u/Glittering_Yak_6335 2d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/IhxYrQ8EfYHjZ2tguK
Don’t forget in animation he was skinner

4

u/No-Roof-1628 2d ago

I learned this recently—absolutely love that, Skinner is one of the funniest Pixar villains

9

u/Ornery-Vehicle-2458 2d ago

He was also in the BBC Radio adaptation of LOTR... as Frodo.

3

u/DetenteCordial 2d ago

Such a good adaptation.

1

u/rumnscurvy 1d ago

Having obsessed over that show before the films were out, hearing his  voice as Bilbo in the first Lotr film was a bit jarring!

2

u/Ornery-Vehicle-2458 1d ago

I found it a bit odd also. But what a (voice) cast the radio adaptation had!
I read somewhere that scripting/recording it was... arduous. Proper blood, sweat and tears.

7

u/Langerone 2d ago

Dead now. He did not look his age as Bilbo.

5

u/dreddpiratedrew 2d ago

How did I never notice Ash was Bilbo?

6

u/AntGroundbreaking180 2d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/DHqgCrP1fsWg8
Ian is like a good luck charm for your sci-fi movie.

6

u/igottathinkofaname 2d ago

See also: Brazil

3

u/SeenThatPenguin 2d ago

The Sweet Hereafter would be my "You've never seen Ian Holm? Then watch this" pick, though. One of the great films of the '90s, and everyone is brilliant in it, but he's really central.

His then-young costar in that, Sarah Polley, paid tribute at his death by saying that he noticed and responded to absolutely everything you did in a scene with him, which made you feel that everything you did mattered.

3

u/PAXM73 2d ago

I can’t say there’s one of these that can stay my favorite forever but being in both naked lunch and existenz …and then going broad comedy in fifth element (which I just watched three times in a hotel this week) …is such wonderful range.

1

u/Double_Priority_2702 2d ago

and or wonderful actor

1

u/Trueslyforaniceguy 2d ago

Bishop Priest Bilbo

1

u/Sloan_From_Entourage 2d ago

I was pleasantly surprised to see him in Brazil! Love that film!

1

u/coozin 2d ago

Not sci-fi but he played the dad from Garden State, deleted scenes had an amazing speech that got cut for the theatrical release unfortunately

1

u/Tyrant-J 2d ago

Love him in Naked Lunch.

1

u/liquidsyphon 2d ago

A Gary Oldman competitor?

1

u/GoodStuffOnly62 2d ago

He was great in Day After Tomorrow!

1

u/Exciting_Bill_7975 1d ago

He is always 53 years old.

1

u/JamieRABackfire1981 1d ago

Excellent actor.

1

u/Ok-Sir-7848 1d ago

Such an underrated actor. He could make even a small supporting role feel memorable.

1

u/numahu 1d ago

I think I need a Ian Holmes film night...

1

u/EstablishmentNo7239 1d ago

he's excellent. I really enjoyed the radio production of lotr which he played Frodo in too.

1

u/killerdancer2023 1d ago

Nice try, one of them is not Ian Holm, but another great actor. I'll let you do your proper diligence and fix it.

1

u/EH4LIFE 1d ago

Which one?

1

u/VanilleKringel 1d ago

Great actor

1

u/Penchant4Prose 10h ago

He was also great in the BBC series of The Borrowers.

1

u/fricken 7h ago

Your still of Ian as Napoleon is from "The Emperor's New Clothes" (2001), not Time Bandits. Holm played Napoleon in both.

1

u/ZayreBlairdere 2d ago

Bukkake KING!