Julian Sands Age, Death, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Julian Sands

• Julian Sands (1958-2023) was an acclaimed English actor renowned for his notable performance as George Emerson in the British romantic film A Room with a View (1985). Throughout his career, he starred in various popular films including 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). He gained recognition for appearing in American television series such as 24 (2006) and Smallville (2009-2010). On 13 January 2023, Sands went missing while hiking on Mount San Antonio, a summit located on the border of Los Angeles in California. Hikers discovered human remains in the area where Sands had disappeared on 24 June 2023. On 27 June 2023, the remains were positively identified as Sands,’ confirming his death.

• He spent his early childhood in Adel, a suburb of Leeds, Yorkshire with his four brothers, Robin, Jeremy, Nicholas, and Quentin.
  

  Julian Sands (in the middle, smiling) with his four brothers on the back porch of his house in Adel, Yorkshire, England

• His parents separated in 1963. Thereafter, Julian, Nicholas, and Quentin (the younger three) relocated to Gargrave in the Yorkshire Dales with their mother; meanwhile, his older brothers remained with their father. Despite growing up in different households, the siblings often had opportunities to connect as they frequently moved between their parents’ residences.

• During his childhood, Julian developed a passion for outdoor activities, spending time hiking, camping, and exploring rivers in the picturesque landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District. Spending time outdoors, he would often dig out fossils with his small geological hammer and keep them in his collection. He talked about the same in an interview and said,
  

  As a boy I used to go out with a small geological hammer and a haversack in the Yorkshire Dales looking for fossils – these are part of my collection. I went on to do geology at A-level and thought about it as a career. As a boy I also spent a lot of time with my late mother, going to museums, galleries and country houses, and I remember the first time I went to the Geological Museum in London with her after we’d seen Tutankhamun at the British Museum.”

• His mother, Brenda, married two times after separating from William Sands. She was involved in amateur dramatics and would often take her sons to the cinema. It was at the age of eight that Julian’s fascination with acting began when he watched the 1955 British Technicolor film Richard III, which starred the renowned Sir Laurence Olivier in the title role. The experience left a lasting impression on him and fueled his desire to pursue a career in the performing arts.
  

  Julian Sands (rightmost) with his brothers Robin, Jeremy and Nicholas at the Arthington Show in North Yorkshire in 1964

• As a kid, Sands was so mesmerized by the British epic war film Zulu (1964) that he saw the film six times in its first week. Consequently, his brothers nicknamed him “Zulu.” ^[6]The Daily Mail

• By 11, he was actively participating in village pantomimes and nativity plays.

• The headmaster of Sands’ village school recognised his talent and suggested he apply for a scholarship outside the local area. At 13, he won a scholarship and went to Hampshire to attend Lord Wandsworth College, a boarding school.

• During his school holidays, he would travel extensively, a habit which embedded wanderlust in him.

• At the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, he made acquaintance with Derek Jarman, who later turned into his friend and mentor.

• After completing his studies at the drama school in his early twenties, Julian tried breaking into the film industry meanwhile performing in various productions at pub theatres.
  

  Julian Sands in his younger days

• At the start of his career, he began working as a theatre artist with the Forum Theatre Company. He also took on various odd jobs, including working as Father Christmas at a department store. In 1979, he portrayed the Devil in an extensive promotional video directed by Jarman for Marianne Faithfull’s album Broken English.

• In 1984, Julian Sands portrayed the role of the journalist Jon Swain in the British biographical film The Killing Fields, which went on to win an Oscar.

• David Puttnam, the producer of the 1984 British biographical drama film The Killing Fields, introduced Julian Sands to director Roland Joffe. Joffe expressed his preference for casting unknown actors to portray the journalists in the film. Consequently, Julian Sands, who played Jon Swain, spent four months in Thailand along with John Malkovich, who portrayed another journalist named Al Rockoff. The two actors initially met in Chiang Mai and soon developed a strong friendship. John Malkovich eventually became Julian Sands’ son’s godfather.
  

  A picture of the actors of The Killing Fields (1984) Julian Sands (who portrayed Jon Swain) and John Malkovich (who portrayed Al Rockoff)

• It was his portrayal of George Emerson, the male lead in the Oscar-nominated British romance film A Room with a View (1985), that catapulted him to stardom. Set against the backdrop of Florence, the film tells the story of a fleeting romance between George, a spirited young man, and Lucy Honeychurch (played by Helena Bonham Carter). It was the impulsive kiss in an Italian poppy field that catapulted to Sands’ stardom. The scene was considered the most iconic moment in the English period piece of its era.
  

  Julian Sands as George Emerson and Helena Bonham Carter as Lucy Honeychurch in the film A Room with a View (1985)

• Once the American backers of the film A Room with a View (1985) attempted to stop the production by making a condition that they would proceed only if the role of Julian Sands was replaced by American actor John Travolta and Helena Bonham Carter’s role was taken over by American actress Glenn Close.

• In 1985, he played role of Laurence Hunningford in the Swiss horror film After Darkness.

• In 1986, he portrayed the renowned English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in the British psychological horror film Gothic.
  

  Julian Sands as Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Gabriel Byrne as Lord Byron in Gothic (1986)

• After splitting up with Sarah in 1987, Sands temporarily moved in with John Malkovich, who introduced him to writer Evgenia Citkowitzus at the opening night of a club in New York. At that time, he was not actively seeking a new romantic involvement, but he hit it off with Evgenia and soon started dating her. Julian and John lived together for six weeks only after which they had a dispute over a broken washing machine.

• He garnered immense popularity for playing the titular role in the American supernatural horror film Warlock (1989) and its sequel Warlock: The Armageddon (1993).
  

  Julian Sands as and in Warlock (1989)

• In the 1990s, he moved to Los Angeles, California.

• He played the role of an entomologist, Dr James Atherton in the 1990 American horror comedy Arachnophobia. The film revolves around a species of deadly South American spiders which hitches a lift to the U.S. in a coffin and subsequently breeds and poses a threat by causing deaths.
  

  Julian Sands as Dr James Atherton in Arachnophobia (1990)

• Sands played the role of a surgeon named Nick Cavanaugh in the American mystery thriller film Boxing Helena (1993). In the film, Cavanaugh obsesses over Helena (played by Sherilyn Fenn), a woman he finds attractive but cruel. The obsession leads the surgeon to amputate all four of her limbs. Although the movie received a nomination for the Grand Jury Prize at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival, it received negative reviews from critics upon release.
  

  Julian Sands as Nick Cavanaugh and Sherilyn Fenn as Helena in Boxing Helena (1993)

• In 2000, he played Quentin in the American experimental movie Timecode. This unique film was created using four continuous 93-minute takes, all filmed simultaneously by four cameras. The screen is divided into quarters, and all four shots are displayed simultaneously.

• He lent his voice to the character of Valmont in the American animated TV series Jackie Chan Adventures (2000-2002).

• He starred in the action-comedy film The Medallion (2003), sharing the screen with Jackie Chan.

• In 2006, he played the role of Vladimir Bierko, a terrorist, in the fifth season of the American drama series 24, which earned him widespread recognition.
  

  Julian Sands as Vladimir Bierko in the American drama series 24 (2006)

• Later, Sarah Sands got married to Kim Fletcher, a former journalist and newspaper editor. Together, Sarah and Kim have two children.

• In 2011, Julian Sands, alongside Jane Carr and Tara Summers, recorded the radio show The School for Scandal for radio, which aired in Southern California on KPCC 89.3 every Saturday. The School for Scandal was Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s comedic masterpiece from the 18th century, exploring human frailty and hypocrisy that remains relevant in the modern world.

• In 2012, Sands voiced the character of DeFalco in the first-person shooter video game Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.

• In the same year, he received the Special Jury Award for playing the role of Bernard in the short film The Maiden and the Princess (2011) at the International Film Festival for Peace, Inspiration and Equality.
  

  The Maiden and the Princess (2011)

• In the final season of the American crime drama series Dexter, he played the role of a wealthy international businessman (2013).
  

  Julian Sands and Yvonne Strahovski in Dexter (2013)

• Sands performed a one-man show called A Celebration of Harold Pinter, directed by John Malkovich, which debuted at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It became a success and embarked on a tour across Britain, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York. The show featured Sands reciting Pinter’s poems. Sands and Pinter developed a friendship in 2005 when Sands substituted for the ailing Pinter and recited some of his poems at a London benefit recital. After Pinter’s passing in 2008, Sands created the show as a tribute to his friend. His performance in the play earned him a nomination in the category of “Outstanding Solo Performance” at the 58th Annual Drama Desk Awards in 2013.

• He appeared as Dr Gerald Crane in the American superhero crime drama series Gotham in 2015.
  

  Julian Sands as Dr Gerald Crane in Gotham (2015)

• In 2018, Sands voiced Johnny Weissmuller (Tarzan) while John Malkovich voiced Cheeta the Chimp in the radio show Me Cheeta: My Life In Hollywood, adapted from James Lever’s novel of the same name. The radio play follows the fictional memoir of the chimpanzee Cheeta, recounting how he was captured from the jungle in the 1930s, trained as a performer, and brought to Hollywood to star alongside Olympic swimming champion Johnny Weissmuller in the Tarzan movies.

• In 2019, he appeared in his last TV show Into the Dark in an episode titled “A Nasty Piece of Work” in which he played the role of Steven.

• Sands was a passionate mountaineer. Once he revealed that he carried an anthology of poetry with him whenever he’d go to the mountains.

• Julian Sands disappeared during a hiking trip on Mount San Antonio, also known as Mount Baldy, in the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles on January 13, 2023. According to his phone records, Sands continued to travel for two days after his disappearance was reported. Prior to going missing, Sands sent his beloved grandson, Billy, some photos showing him climbing the Weisshorn, a mountain with a pyramid-like shape and an elevation of 14,783 feet which is located approximately 15 miles away from the Matterhorn.
  

  A picture of Julian Sands on the Weisshorn mountain

  The search for Julian Sands was hindered by intense storms that occurred soon after he went missing. On 24 June 2023, hikers discovered human remains where Sands had disappeared. The remains were officially confirmed to be those of Sands on 27 June 2023.

• Apart from acting and travelling, Sands was also fond of playing cricket. In an interview, he revealed that he regularly used to play cricket in a park under the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, where numerous celebrities like Ringo Starr, Mick Jagger, and Hugh Grant would show up to play.
  

  Julian Sands and Ringo Starr pictured after a charity cricket match

• A wine connoisseur, Sands had a passion for Bordeaux wine. ^[7]Decanter While he loved the Bordeaux Wine region Pauillac, he continuously tried new wine châteaux. In an interview, he talked about his favourite châteaux and said,
  

  The Pichons are consistently delicious and good value, plus Ducru-Beaucaillou, Haut-Batailley and Batailley. Plus the Léovilles. For every day, I like the St-Emilion grand cru Grand Pontet.”

  Apart from that, he also liked Cabernet Sauvignon wines like Shafer, Phelps, Siver Oak, Pahlmeyer, Etude, and McKenzie-Mueller.

  

  Julian Sands showing his wine cellar

  In an interview, he replied to the question “Property aside, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought?”, Sands said,

  A case of Chateau Margaux 59″

• Once he said that he wanted the song Get Happy by Rufus Wainwright to play at his funeral.