Missing Actor Julian Sands Found Dead, Officials Say

By Stephen Andrew

Months after Julian Sands went missing in the California wilderness, officials say the actor has been found dead. Over the weekend, hikers came across human remains in an area where Sands was believed to have been. According to The Hollywood Reporter, police officials have stated that the remains have been as the British actor. 

"The identification process for the body located on Mt. Baldy on June 24, 2023, has been completed and was positively identified as 65-year-old Julian Sands of North Hollywood," the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department said in a statement. "The manner of death is still under investigation, pending further test results. We would like to extend our gratitude to all the volunteers that worked tirelessly to locate Mr. Sands."

Just one day before Sands' remains were found, his family released a statement through sheriff's department. "We are deeply grateful to the search teams and coordinators who have worked tirelessly to find Julian," they stated. "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."

Back in April, Sands' son Henry spoke with the The Times (U.K.) about the extensive search for his father. "I am, of course, realistic about the impact on the search of the weather conditions over the last three months – it's been a 40-year snowfall record in California," he said. "I am hugely appreciative for all the efforts made so far from the volunteer search and rescue climbers and the San Bernardino County sheriff team to bring my father home."

Sands was a beloved actor known for roles in films such as Arachnophobia, Leaving Las Vegas, Ocean's Thirteen, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He also turned up in a number of TV shows, like 24, Dexter, and Gotham. His final on-screen performance was in Seneca – On the Creation of Earthquakes, a historical dark dramedy film co-starring John Malkovich.

An avid hiker, Sands went missing in January while hiking the Baldy Bowl Trail area of the San Gabriel Mountains. In a 2020 interview with Thrive Global, Sands spoke out about his passion for hiking. "The local mountains offer great adventure, you can go out for an hour, a day or even several days," he said at the time. "It's always different and always fantastic. And of course, I do believe in a certain athleticism for me as an actor, keeping fit is important. So living, or being based in Los Angeles — actors don't really live anywhere, they are always on the road — lends itself to a wonderful outdoors lifestyle."

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