The HORRIBLE Hiking Story of POPULAR British Actor Julian Sands

Every time a famous person dies under mysterious circumstances, we are all left wondering if there is something behind the scenes. Such a thing, however, is not the case with Julian Sands, as the British actor was found dead in July after six months of being reported missing, and his story is a horrifying one. Today we will take a look at the life and ultimate demise of the British actor Julian Sands, known for staring in many popular movies such as Ocean's 13 and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Join us as we take a look at Sands' sad but fulfilling life. There's freedom in being Julian Sands, an actor whose eclectic career has taken him from prestige romances to subversive indie movies and sinister TV shows, and to more than 50 countries. For proof, you could scan his resume, but make sure you have time, because it would not be a one-hour ordeal, or even one day for that matter. Or, if you are a thrill-seeker, you might go to his Los Angeles home and hear him scream his Tarzan call, something we will explain later on in the video. Julian Richard Morley Sands was born on January 4th, 1958, in Otley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. He received his education at Lord Wandsworth College in Hampshire, and pursued studies at the Central School of Speech and Drama. He began his acting career quite late, at least by today's standards, at the age of 26, appearing in several cameos in British films, but the most successful one was A Room with a View, and after its success, he moved to Hollywood to pursue a career in American films, where he appeared in a wide range of roles. Sands took on various notable roles in his Hollywood career. He portrayed the titular character in the horror film Warlock, and its sequel, Warlock the Armageddon. Additionally, he embodied the persona of Franz Liszt in Impromptu, and brought Yves Cloquet to life in Naked Lunch. Sands also delivered memorable performances in films such as Arachnophobia, Boxing Helena, and Leaving Las Vegas. His portrayal of Eric, also known as the Phantom in the 1998 horror film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera, further showcased his versatility. Additionally, Sands depicted Laurence Olivier in BBC4's In Praise of Hardcore, a drama centered around the critic and impresario Kenneth Tynan. In his television career, he provided the voice for Valmont in the initial two seasons of Jackie Chan Adventures, after which he was succeeded by Andrew Abelson and Greg Ellis for the subsequent seasons. He took on the role of the Dochi of the Ori in two episodes of Stargate SG-1, appearing in its ninth and tenth seasons, and reprised this character in the film Stargate The Arc of Truth. Additionally, he portrayed a college professor in an episode of The L Word's first season. In 2002, he took the lead in Stephen King's Rose Red, and portrayed the Austrian ambassador Clemens von Metternich in the miniseries Napoleon. His role as terrorist Vladimir Birko in the 2006 season of 24, showcased his versatility. Sands entered matrimony with British journalist and author Sarah Harvey in 1984, a marriage that lasted until 1987, resulting in the birth of their son. On September 22, 1990, Sands tied the knot with Evgenia Sitkiewicz, an American playwright, author, and journalist who is the offspring of Polish-American composer Israel Sitkiewicz and Lady Caroline Blackwood. This introduction was facilitated by John Malkovich, a close associate of Sands. The couple went on to have two daughters, and Sands maintained a strong sense of protectiveness towards his family, and seldom broached the subject of his wife or children in interviews. Julian Sands was an avid mountaineer, and talked about how he didn't even want to become an actor, but rather wanted something more exotic in his life. He stated that he wanted more and more adventures as he aged. With his high cheekbones and sharp yet silken voice, he has played lots of villains. In The Phantom of the Opera, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Vladimir Bierko in 24, channeling his love of Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Vincent Price, saying how they were thrilling, exciting, and glamorous. And he has said that he had no idea how many times he had died on screen because he stopped counting a long time ago. Sands was a very interesting man, as portraying a radio ape may initially strike one as an odd choice for Sands, particularly if one's most recent encounter was witnessing his solo rendition of Harold Pinter poems, overseen by John Malkovich. Nevertheless, Sands' trajectory towards this role traced back to his youth, spent climbing trees in Yorkshire's hills, and engrossed in monochrome Weissmuller reruns on the television. At the young age of six, he viewed Michael Caine's Zulu five times in a single week, earning him the nickname Zulu from his four brothers. The transition from Julian to Zulu was swift, and shortly thereafter his mother also an actor submitted his photograph to a casting director on the lookout for a boy to portray Tarzan's companion. Sands nostalgically talked about how he wanted so badly to be Tarzan's friend. Regrettably, that aspiration never came to fruition. Nonetheless, in his early 20s, as an unknown muscular British actor with falling blonde hair, Sands was offered to be the main character in Hugh Hudson's Greystoke, The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes. Recognizing the potential gravity of this breakthrough in his career, Sands invested considerable effort in sculpting his physique, dedicating hours to mastering rope climbing for well-defined pecs, and delving into primate behavior under the guidance of experts in simian motion. But as luck would have it, Greystoke encountered delays, ultimately casting Christopher Lambert in the lead role a few years later. Consequently, the producers redirected Sands to Thailand for the Oscar-winning drama set in Cambodia, The Killing Fields. By chance, it was here that Sands first crossed paths with Malkovich, then a stage actor in Chicago. Julian has embraced a life of consecutive adventures, driven by a desire to conquer his fears. Reflecting on his journey, he shared a valuable piece of advice given to him by a seasoned actor during his early career. Just try to stay in the game until you're 60, and then things will really get interesting. At the time, the notion of being active at 60 seemed distant and puzzling to Sands. However, having recently reached this milestone, he acknowledges a palpable transformation. With accumulated experience, confidence, and independence, Sands observes a profound shift in his approach to his career, as he is finally letting go of the things that are intrusive, including ambition, narcissism, jealousy, vanity, and insecurity. He recognized the potential pitfall of clinging to a youthful actor's persona, acknowledging that such a pursuit can hinder emotional maturity, and ultimately deeming it infantilizing. John Malkovich had a very interesting quote about him which we briefly referred to at the start of the video. He is Tarzan, said Malkovich. He's a physical entity with a physical force. So, when a challenge isn't readily available, Sands creates his own. Like the time three years ago when he decided to wake up early and hike the nearly 22-mile length of Sunset Boulevard from downtown Los Angeles to the beach, and just about at sunset, he touched the water and went in to have a beer, which was one more goal achieved for the British actor. In an interview in 2020, he also answered the question, when are you happiest, with, when I'm close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning. This awfully reminded me of Paul Walker's quote, if one day the speed kills me, don't cry, because I was smiling, and it's a stark reminder of the dangers of outdoor sports like mountaineering, which was what led to Julian Sands' demise. At one point, the actor went so far as to conduct an entire interview while perched on the Mittelegi Ridge of the Eiger Mountain in the Swiss Alps. Reflecting on his experiences in 2020, he revealed that the closest he had ever come to death was in the early 90s, amidst the Andes, ensnared in a ferocious storm at an altitude exceeding 20,000 feet, alongside three companions. The situation grew dire, and tragically, some individuals nearby didn't survive the ordeal, but luck was on their side. On that fateful day of January 13th, 2023, Julian was on a hike on the dangerous Mount Baldy in Southern California. It was a place where, during the course of the previous four weeks, an astonishing number of 14 rescue missions were launched by the authorities in the area, and all those missions were for lost, stranded, and or injured hikers. Unfortunately, during these past four weeks, two hikers did not survive after falling and injuring themselves. His wife reported him missing at around 7.30 p.m. that day, Friday, and investigators traced pings from his cell phone to Mount Baldy, located in the San Gabriel Mountains in San Bernardino County. In the days after Sands' disappearance, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department advised in a news release shared on Facebook that the weather on the mountain was adverse and extremely dangerous amid high winds, severe storms across the state, and multiple fatalities of other hikers on the mountain. Eleven days after the actor disappeared, the department shared a statement on Twitter in which it said it would continue to utilize the resources it has at its disposal. To put things into perspective about how dangerous Mount Baldy is, just days before Sands' disappearance, a tragic incident occurred involving Crystal Paula Gonzalez-Landis, affectionately known as the Dancing Hiking Queen, who met her untimely end in the same area. Gonzalez-Landis had shared a video on Facebook, capturing what would be her final hiking adventure. Donning a headlamp and a brightly colored jacket against the dark backdrop, she exclaimed in the clip, It's go time! There are lots of people out today! Her daughter Jasmine Rosado fondly remembered her as a beacon of light to everyone who knew her and was always ready to lend a helping hand in a GoFundMe campaign organized to assist with her funeral expenses. In 2020, the remains of another hiker, 52-year-old Srinivas Sri Makhapati from California, were discovered four months after he embarked on his journey up Mount Baldy. Makhapati was reported missing on December 8th of that year after becoming separated from his and reports from the Los Angeles Times indicated that the mountain was blanketed in snow at the time of his disappearance, with nighttime temperatures plummeting near freezing. A dedicated team of 126 individuals embarked on a search mission to locate Makhapati. Tragically, their efforts were halted days later when 32-year-old Timothy Staples, a valiant nine-year veteran of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, lost his life after a fatal fall from the mountain, as reported by the Mercury News at the time. Along with the department's January 23rd, 2023 update, it shared a statement from the family of Sands who extended their gratitude to the heroic search teams who continued to aid in the search for the missing actor. We are deeply touched by the outpouring of love and support, the statement read. Our heartfelt thanks to the compassionate members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department who are coordinating the search for our beloved Julian. On January 24th, the actor's brother, Nick Sands, told the UK's Craven Herald and Pioneer that he believed Julian, who he said he was scheduled to meet with for a family event on January 30th, was gone. Many actors shared their concern, among which was John Malkovich, who brought further attention to Sands' disappearance on February 20th when he spoke about his friendship with the actor ahead of the premiere of their film at the Berlin Film Festival, saying that he was the godfather of his first son and that he knows his first wife, Sarah, very well, saying how they were very close since meeting in 1993 on the set of a film. Sands talked about the dangers of mountaineering during his last interview, shortly before going on that faithful hike. He said that many of the friends he used to climb with have stopped going to the mountains, partly because they find that, with climate change, the rock faces have become much more unstable, partly because of their age, and he stated that if you don't really have the desire or the focus for climbing a route, if you're not absolutely committed, it becomes much more dangerous and a much more deflating experience. He also talked about his unsettling experiences in mountainous areas where he senses a deep history of tragedy, such as on the Eiger or in the Andes. Encountering human remains in such places can be deeply disturbing, and he emphasized that these occurrences are not necessarily supernatural, but rather a heightened manifestation of the natural world, which he terms hypernatural. In these moments he believes one is in the presence of a powerful and overwhelming force of nature, and this experience can lead to increased sensitivity, allowing individuals to perceive and connect with natural forces on a profound level. Months went by without a trace until June 17th of this year, when authorities announced the continuation of the ongoing search operations in the Mount Baldy wilderness for sands. The search efforts involved over 80 dedicated volunteers from search and rescue teams, along with deputies and support staff, and they were assisted by two helicopters and drone crews who are scouring remote areas across Mount Baldy, as stated by officials. Despite the recent warming weather, certain parts of the mountain still remain inaccessible due to the extreme alpine conditions, and multiple search zones encompass treacherous terrain blanketed with over 10 feet of ice and snow. Then, on June 23rd, human remains were found near the area where investigators have been searching, and three days later, on June 27th, they were confirmed to belong to the 65-year-old actor Julian Sands. A month later, the cause of death was listed as undetermined because of the condition of the body, which is common when dealing with cases of this type, according to the officials. His brother Nick said the tributes paid to him have been overwhelming, adding that he would grieve and celebrate his brother's loss and life in equal measure. The life of Julian Sands is filled with many interesting situations, but it is evident that he died doing what he loved, so at least we can find some solace in that. It also proves how dangerous mountaineering is in those parts of California, and how the sport itself stands as a pursuit that embodies the human spirit's quest for conquest and exploration. The mountains demand respect, and exact a high toll on those who underestimate their power. Yet, for those who brave the dangers and emerge triumphant, the rewards are immeasurable, but sometimes deadly, as in the case of Julian Sands. We can celebrate his life and continue watching his films and TV shows because, in that way, he will never be forgotten, and we can hope that somewhere up there he found the peace that he couldn't here on Earth. Have you watched any of Sands' movies, and if so, which one do you like the most? Let us know down in the comments below. Thank you for watching and we will see you in the next video.