Julian Sands, Warlock and Gotham Actor, Confirmed Dead After Extensive Search

Julian Sands, a British actor known for working in Hollywood since the 1980s, has confirmed to have passed away in January, he was 65. Sands was reported missing at the start of 2023 after going hiking near Mt. Baldy in Southern California. A search for any sign of him was carried out at the time and has continued ever since. Earlier this week some remains were found in the Mt. Baldy wilderness. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department confirmed that these remains, discovered by hikers, did in fact belong to Julian Sands and that despite a positive identifiaction of the body an investigation into how he passed is still ongoing. Their statement reads:

"The identification process for the body located on Mt. Baldy on June 24, 2023, has been completed and was positively identified as 65-year-old Julian Sands of North Hollywood. The manner of death is still under investigation, pending further test results. We would like to extend our gratitude to all the volunteers that worked tirelessly to locate Mr. Sands."

"We are deeply grateful to the search teams and coordinators who have worked tirelessly to find Julian," his family previously said in a statement after search efforts re-started in June. "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."

Born on January 4, 1958, in Otley, West Yorkshire, Sands first role in front of the camera was in the TV series Play for Today, but would make a name for himself with 1984's The Killing Fields. The very next year he would star opposite Helena Bonham Carter in 1985's A Room with a View, which would go on to be nominated for eight Academy Awards and earn him critical acclaim. His other roles of the era included playing the title role in 1989's Warlock, and its 1993 sequel Warlock: The Armageddon. he also starred in Naked Lunch, Leaving Las Vegas, The Phantom of the Opera, and The Medallion.

DC fans perhaps know Sands best for playing Jor-El in two episodes of Smallville, and Dr. Gerald Crane (father of Batman villain Scarecrow) in two episodes of Gotham. He has also appeared in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Elementary, and Netflix's What/If.

"I was very honored to play Jor-El, because he'd only been played before, I think, by Marlon Brando. I liked Smallville," Sands explained in a 2019 interview with Decider. "I found it very touching. I mean, it's a domestic story about people growing up. Again, I didn't seek to play Jor-El, I was just asked if I would play him, but it was a great privilege and a very dignified TV piece, I thought. As an actor, people quite often do ask you, "What do you want to play?" But I really have no idea. [Laughs.] I respond to other people's ideas about who I should play."

Our thoughts are with Sands' family, friends, and fans at this time.

(Cover Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)