Melanie Lynskey Shares Emotional Tribute To Her ‘Rose Red’ Co-Star Julian Sands: “I Will Never Forget You”

Yellowjackets actress Melanie Lynskey penned an emotional tribute message to Julian Sands, who was recently confirmed dead after disappearing during a hike in January.

Lynskey remembered her co-star in an Instagram post shared Thursday (June 29) evening, not long after the news of his death.

“Julian Sands. I met you on the set of Rose Red in 2000. A Room With A View was a movie I had seen dozens of times, and I adored you in it. I was so nervous I could barely speak to you,” she wrote. “When I did finally tell you what the movie/you meant to me, I was struck by your humility, your lack of ego, the absence of any grandstanding.”

The actress went on to remember their friendship, during which she says Sands bought her gifts and took her to the opera for the first time.

“You were gracious and patient and tons of fun. We lost touch, but I have never forgotten your kindness and I will never forget you,” she wrote.

The pair kept in touch after co-starring in the 2002 horror mini-series Rose Red, which was written by Stephen King. Sands was hot off the heels of an eclectic string of movies including Boxing Helena and Leaving Las Vegas at the time, while Lynskey was just a few years into her budding career.

Authorities announced on Tuesday (June 27) that the human remains found in the Mount Baldy area in Southern California were those of the missing actor. He was first reported missing in January after he set out on a hike.

After his disappearance, local authorities advised hikers against visiting the area due to “extremely dangerous” wintry conditions. Such conditions made it difficult for the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department to locate and rescue Sands, though they conducted eight official search operations in the months since his disappearance.

“My heart goes out to your family and loved ones,” Lynskey wrote.

The Smallville 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.”