The worst has been confirmed by THR: Julian Sands, the unforgettable star of the horror classic Warlock, is dead. The actor vanished in January when hiking in the Mount Baldy wilderness outside of L.A. Recently, hikers found a body, and, as expected, its identity was confirmed as Sands. It’s a sad but not unexpected end for one of the most high-profile missing persons cases in recent years, and hopefully, his remains being identified will give his family peace. It sounds like a tragic accident, with Sands being a renowned outdoorsman and avid hiker. It took this long to find and identify him because, until recently, the area suffered the effects of unusually severe weather.
Of course, Sands is an icon to the horror community thanks to his star role in Warlock and its sequel, Warlock: The Armageddon. He also had roles in many other movies, with him initially breaking out as the romantic lead in Merchant/ Ivory’s A Room with a View. With his long blonde locks and regal looks, Sands was often cast as cold-aristocrats, usually with a vicious streak. He specialized in villains, such as in the Jackie Chan movie The Medallion or as Elisabeth Shue’s sadistic pimp in Leaving Las Vegas. But, he was also memorable in other, more sympathetic roles, such as when he played a journalist in Roland Joffé’s The Killing Fields (after which he and John Malkovich would become lifelong friends) or his heroic role in the cult classic Arachnophobia. He also starred as a love-struck (but sadistic) doctor in Jennifer Lynch’s controversial (NC-17) Boxing Helena.
Sands’ long list of roles includes stints on 24, Banshee, The Ghost Whisperer and Smallville, where he played Superman’s father, Jor-El. Through it all, he was a beloved figure in the horror community and will be missed. Rest well, sir.
What’s your favourite Julian Sands role? Let us know in the comments.