Julian Sands Confirmed Dead at 65 After Remains Found in Southern California

Human remains found in the Mount Baldy area of California were confirmed to be those of actor Julian Sands, authorities announced Tuesday (June 27). The actor was 65.

A cause of death has not yet been determined, the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department said.

Hikers came across the human remains on Saturday (June 24) morning in the Southern California area where Sands first disappeared six months ago. Eight official searches had been conducted to rescue the actor since he first went missing in January, but dangerous weather conditions in Mt. Baldy made rescue efforts difficult.

Sands’ family issued a statement on June 21, thanking the local authorities for their efforts.

“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,” the statement said.

Mount Baldy reaches almost 10,000 feet and is a popular hiking spot in Southern California.

At the time of his disappearance, the area was experiencing “extremely dangerous” wintry conditions. The local sheriff’s department issued a public advisory warning hikers to steer clear of the area after they responded to 14 rescue missions during that period of time.

The actor was known to be an avid hiker. In 2020, he told The Guardian he was happiest when he was “close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning.”

He also revealed that he experienced a brush with death in the ’90s. “In the Andes, caught in an atrocious storm above 20,000ft with three others. We were all in a very bad way,” he said. “Some guys close to us perished; we were lucky.”

Sands enjoyed a long career in film and television for decades, appearing in films such as Warlock, Naked Lunch, and Leaving Las Vegas. But the British actor was best known for his role in the 1985 classic A Room With A View.

He was also in the running to play Lestat in the 1995 adaptation of Anne Rice‘s Interview With The Vampire, though the role ultimately went to Tom Cruise.

Sands is survived by his wife, Evgenia Citkowitz, and his three children.