Ian Holm was a versatile British actor of stage and screen, known for appearances in classics like Alien, Chariots of Fire, The Lord of the Rings, and Ratatouille. He was a character actor, delighting in larger-than-life roles, but also capable of restraint and realism when necessary. His career was marked by a willingness to take on challenging roles, often shifting seamlessly between genres. Holm’s performances were almost always compelling, whether he was playing a hobbit, a king’s physician, a mean chef, or a devious android.
Hom’s recent posthumous CGI-rendered appearance in Alien: Romulus stirred up some controversy and debate about the use of a deceased actor’s likeness on-screen. Though the technology has come a long way, it still can’t do justice to a performer of Holm’s caliber. With this in mind, here are his ten best performances, which are far superior to any digital simulacrum. They include turns in some of the greatest movies of all time.
10 ‘The Madness of King George’ (1994)
Directed by Nicholas Hytner
“If the King refuses food, he will be restrained.” Holm has a major role in this zany historical film as Dr. Willis, a pioneering physician brought in to treat King George III (Nigel Hawthorne)’s erratic behavior. The film, set in 18th-century England, focuses on the king’s sudden loss of sanity and the subsequent power struggle at court. Dr. Willis’s unorthodox methods and strict regime challenge the traditional practices of the royal doctors, while also bringing him into conflict with some of the aristocratic schemers.
From here, the movie expands into a madcap portrait of a tumultuous moment in British history, where various factions in Parliament vied for dominance. However, in contrast to most movies of this kind, it’s not a dry period piece, but rather a lively comedy-drama, with a surprising energy and zany humor. Holm is a key part of its success and his performance was widely acclaimed. The movie as a whole has aged well and is still worth checking out.
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9 ‘Naked Lunch’ (1991)
Directed by David Cronenberg
“I mean, on the level of conscious intention, it’s insane, monstrous.” Naked Lunch is David Cronenberg‘s ultra-surreal adaptation of the famous novel by William S. Burroughs, widely considered unfilmable (and, by some, unreadable). It’s a mix of absurdism, sci-fi, and body horror, focusing on exterminator Bill Lee (Peter Weller) who becomes addicted to the insecticide he uses and finds himself entangled in a bizarre, hallucinatory conspiracy involving giant bugs and sinister agents.
Holm has a supporting role as Tom Frost, with whom Lee has an altercation at gunpoint involving a stolen typewriter. The mostly deadpan performances are a brilliant complement to the distinctive visual style and mind-bending subject matter. This is not simply weirdness for weirdness’s sake, however. The story uses its bizarre developments to make sharp comments about addiction, humanity, and the creative process. It’s certainly not for everyone, but Naked Lunch has become a cult film for a reason.
8 ‘The Fifth Element’ (1997)
Directed by Luc Besson
“Evil begets evil, Mr. President. Shooting will only make it stronger.” The Fifth Element is Luc Besson‘s goofy, brightly-colored, endlessly fun sci-fi opus; a landmark of ’90s cinema. Set in the 23rd century, it follows ex-soldier Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), who becomes the unlikely hero tasked with protecting Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), the embodiment of the fifth element, essential to stopping the impending doom. Holm shows up as Father Vito Cornelius, a clergyman dedicated to preventing the return of an ancient evil that threatens the universe. A guardian of ancient knowledge, Cornelius guides Dallas and Leeloo in their quest to save the world from destruction.
Most of The Fifth Element‘s fans embrace it for its vivid aesthetics and wild plot, which gleefully revisits many of the genre’s tropes, but the performances are also consistently entertaining. Holm may not come close to the scene-stealing Chris Tucker as Ruby Rhod, but he’s still solid, and his casting riffs nicely on some of his earlier, more serious roles.
7 ‘The Sweet Hereafter’ (1997)
Directed by Atom Egoyan
“Enough rage and helplessness and your love turns to something else.” The defining film by Canadian auteur Atom Egoyan, The Sweet Hereafter explores the aftermath of a tragic school bus accident in a small town. In particular, it delves into the lives of the grieving families and the community’s struggle to come to terms with their loss. Holm leads the cast as out-of-town lawyer Mitchell Stephens. Driven by his own pain, he attempts to persuade the townspeople to file a class-action lawsuit, believing that seeking justice might bring them some closure.
This is an ambitious movie, both structurally and narratively, tackling big themes and devastating events. Pop philosopher Slavoj Žižek called it “arguably the film about the impact of trauma on a community.” As a result, the movie demanded much from its cast. They all rise to the occasion, none more so than Holm, in what was, at age 65, his first lead role in a film. Many critics called it the best performance of his career.
6 ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ (2012)
Directed by Peter Jackson
“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” Although Martin Freeman plays the younger Bilbo throughout the majority of the Hobbit movies, Holm makes an appearance as the older Bilbo nearing his 111th birthday (shortly before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring) and reflecting back on his adventures. His story of his journey to the Lonely Mountain with a group of dwarves and the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) serves as a framing device. It also creates continuity between the Hobbit trilogy and the one that had come before,
Holm’s scenes aren’t the most exciting, but he performs them well, and makes the character feel layered and real. The rest of the movie is enjoyable if flawed; head and shoulders above most fantasy films but not on the level of Peter Jackson‘s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Despite being drawn from a much more restrained and smaller-in-scale book, the movie somehow feels even bigger and more overwhelming than LoTR, and not always in a good way.
5 ‘Ratatouille’ (2007)
Directed by Brad Bird
“He’s toying with my mind like a cat with a ball… of something!” This gem from Pixar’s golden age focuses on Remy (Patton Oswalt), a rat with a passion for cooking, who teams up with a young, inexperienced chef named Linguini (Lou Romano) to create culinary masterpieces in Gusteau’s kitchen. As Remy secretly guides Linguini, the restaurant begins to regain its former glory, drawing the attention of both food critics and the suspicious Chef Skinner (Holm).
Holm is entertainingly devious, cruel, and ridiculous in the part, and his French accent is both silly and surprisingly authentic. He’s frequently laugh-out-loud hilarious. Intriguingly, director Brad Bird cast him in the role after watching him in Lord of the Rings, perhaps picking up on the darker undertones to his portrayal of Bilbo. Holm’s voice work was well-received, and he went on to win the Annie Award, beating out co-stars Oswalt and Janeane Garofalo.
4 ‘Chariots of Fire’ (1981)
Directed by Hugh Hudson
“Do you want to know why you lost today?” Chariots of Fire tells the true story of two British athletes, Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) and Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), who competed in the 1924 Paris Olympics. Abrahams, a Jewish student at Cambridge University, faces prejudice and personal challenges, while Liddell, a devout Christian, runs to honor his faith. Holm is running coach Sam Mussabini, who becomes Abrahams’s mentor, helping him to refine his technique and achieve his dream.
The film was a hit on release, winning that year’s Best Picture Oscar, but is perhaps now most well-known for the slow-motion beach scene scored by composer Vangelis. The screenplay is also good, and Holm’s performance is fantastic. He’s warm and bright-eyed, in contrast to robotic turn in Alien. He was the lone cast member to receive an Oscar nomination, and his turn earned him both a BAFTA and the Best Supporting Actor award at Cannes, making this his most-feted performance.
3 ‘Brazil’ (1985)
Directed by Terry Gilliam
“It’s been confusion from the word go!” Brazil is a Kafkaesque dystopian sci-fi from director Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame. It depicts a totalitarian society where bureaucracy and surveillance dominate. The main character is government employee Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) who begins to question the system. Holm plays Mr. Kurtzmann, the timid and anxious bureaucrat who oversees Lowry.
The character embodies the fear and paranoia prevalent in the society, constantly worried about making mistakes and facing retribution from higher authorities. Holm is darkly funny in the part, adding in all sorts of subtle touches and gestures, becoming a brilliant caricature of a mid-level manager. However, his character is also unsettling. He’s a stand-in for the millions of apparatchiks and functionaries who have enabled oppression and cruelty throughout history. Kurtzmann is also spectacularly incompetent yet, in this particular system, that becomes an asset, something which also has parallels with many governments in the real world.
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2 ‘Alien’ (1979)
Directed by Ridley Scott
“You still don’t understand what you’re dealing with, do you? The perfect organism.” Holm has the rare distinction of acting in a genuine fantasy masterpiece (Lord of the Rings) and a sci-fi one (Alien). Here, he is Ash, the science officer aboard the spaceship Nostromo. As the crew struggles to survive, hunted by the xenomorph, it becomes clear that Ash has a hidden agenda, prioritizing the alien’s survival over the lives of his fellow crew members.
Holm is brilliant, making the character complex rather than two-dimensional. He starts out seemingly supportive, later becoming more cold and calculating, revealing his true nature as an android programmed by the company’s interests. Most importantly, he plants clues of his machine-ness right from the very beginning without being overly obvious about it. It’s thus one of the prototypical android performances in sci-fi cinema, inspiring (and being ripped off by) countless others. No CGI imitation could come close to it.
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1 ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ (2001)
Directed by Peter Jackson
“I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.” When it comes to Holm’s most beloved and enduring appearances, it’s hard to top his turn as Bilbo in the first Lord of the Rings film. It represented the first time an actor took on the role of one of fantasy’s most famous heroes, and he did a great job with it, imbuing Bilbo with just the right amount of charm, cheekiness, goodness, and a hint of darkness. After all, unlike his nephew Frodo, Bilbo isn’t totally immune to the Ring’s pull.
The actor is also convincing as someone who’s lived a colorful and adventurous life, setting him apart from most of the hobbits, and thus making his a somewhat lonely existence. Despite his knowledge and talents, Bilbo doesn’t quite fit in anywhere. Funny, sweet, and sad, this is Holm at his very best.
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