In 1981, Holm shot to fame with one of his best-known roles, starring as the athletics trainer Sam Mussabini in the historical sporting drama Chariots of Fire, for which he won a BAFTA and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
The versatile actor had many more memorable roles in high-profile films in the years that followed, including a return to the sci-fi genre, playing Mr Kurtzmann in Terry Gilliam's Brazil in 1985, and later Father Vito Cornelius in Luc Besson's The Fifth Element in 1997.However, it was his portrayal of Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies that introduced the magic of his craft to a whole new generation.
He first appeared as the kind-faced hobbit in the blockbuster The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001. He reprised the role in The Return of the King in 2003, as well as the first and third instalments of Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy, more than a decade later.
"He was a genius of stage and screen, winning multiple awards and loved by directors, audiences and his colleagues alike. His sparkling wit always accompanied a mischievous twinkle in his eye," his agents concluded in their statement. Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
