Renowned actor Julian Sands, famous for his role in “A Room with a View,” has been confirmed dead at the age of 65, five months after he went missing during a solo hike in Southern California.
Sands, an avid outdoorsman and mountaineer, was reported missing on January 13, 2023, by his wife Eugenia Citkowitz. He had embarked on a solitary hike in the Baldy Bowl area of the San Gabriel Mountains, around 50 miles northeast of Los Angeles. The search efforts faced immediate challenges, with adverse weather conditions, including heavy snow and severe storms, hindering rescue attempts.
Corporal Nathan Campos of the San Bernardino County Sheriff Department confirmed that Sands’ disappearance was reported around 7:30 p.m. on January 13, and the initial search crews had to be pulled out due to inclement weather just one day into the search.
Family’s Gratitude and Concerns
The Sands family expressed their gratitude to the search teams in a statement released on January 23, 2023. They thanked the “heroic search teams” and acknowledged the challenges posed by the adverse weather conditions. Sands’ brother, Nick Sands, shared his concern, stating that while Julian had not been declared missing, presumed dead officially, he believed in his heart that his brother was gone. In a statement on January 24, 2023, Nick Sands shared his sentiment, saying, “He has not yet been declared missing, presumed dead, but I know in my heart that he has gone.”
Tragically, the search for Julian Sands concluded when hikers discovered skeletal human remains on June 25, 2023, near the location where he was last seen. The San Bernardino County coroner positively identified the remains as belonging to Julian Sands. However, the manner of his death remained under investigation, with further test results pending.
In a statement, the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department said, “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.”
In July 2023, Sands’ death was officially ruled as “undetermined.” A public information officer for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department explained that such rulings are common in cases of this nature.
Family Statement on June 21, 2023
A statement from Sands’ family, posted by the sheriff’s department on June 21, expressed gratitude to the search teams and shared a note of resignation about his fate. “We continue to hold Julian in our hearts with bright memories of him as a wonderful father, husband, explorer, love of the natural world and the arts, and as an original and collaborative performer,” the statement read.
Julian Sands’ Remarkable Career
Born in England, Sands began his career with supporting roles in films like “Oxford Blues” and “The Killing Fields.” He gained international acclaim for his role in the 1985 film “A Room with a View,” which earned eight Academy Award nominations and won in three categories, including best-adapted screenplay.
Passion for the Outdoors and Legacy
Despite his success in the entertainment industry, Sands maintained a lifelong passion for the outdoors, particularly mountain climbing. In a 2020 interview, he described the joy of being “close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning.” Sands found success in various film genres, including horror, with roles in “Warlock” and “Arachnophobia,” and television, featuring in “Smallville” as Superman’s biological dad Jor-El.
Julian Sands is survived by his second wife, Evgenia Citkowitz, a journalist, with whom he had two daughters. He also had a son from his first marriage to journalist Sarah Harvey.
In remembering Julian Sands, his family and friends have highlighted his contributions to both the entertainment world and his adventurous spirit in the great outdoors.
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