10 Best Ian Holm Performances
1. Bilbo Baggins - The Lord Of The Rings/The Hobbit
Many people in their thirties and below will best remember Holm for his performance as Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, and for good reason. In the extended version of the Fellowship of the Ring in particular, Holm embodies the Hobbit perfectly, speaking about Hobbiton and welcoming the audience to Middle Earth.
The Lord of the Rings was a big budget gamble. There had been attempts throughout the years to bring it to the big screen, with varying results. When Peter Jackson took on the task, he had to find the perfect cast to bring his vision to life. Securing Ian Holm as Bilbo Baggins was a triumph.
There is a quiet confidence and yet an aged wisdom to him in the part. He is both warm and hostile. He is old and young. He loves Frodo deeply and yet the Ring has taken its hold on Bilbo's mind. He is something of a split-personality, yet the audience never stops rooting for Bilbo, thanks in no small part to Holm's performance.
In the grand scale of the trilogy, Bilbo is one of the smaller roles in terms of screen time. Yet, he is one of the most memorable characters in the story. One never truly believes he has been lost to the Ring. He is the perfect guide to Middle Earth.
Wherever Ian Holm is now, it is something to think that, maybe, he is sitting by a fire, relaxing with his feet up and thinking back over a long and successful career. In this writer's mind, that room he is sitting in is a small Hobbit hole, with a party soon to follow.
An man that will be dearly missed.