Tall, gaunt, and particularly effective in horror and drama films, British actor Julian Sands was born in Otley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, to Brenda and William Sands. He came to the attention of NBC when the network cast him in the TV miniseries The Sun Also Rises (1984) and then with Anthony Hopkins in the television film A Married Man (1983). Sands also got noticed for his very small roles in Privates on Parade (1983) and The Killing Fields (1984). It wasn’t until his funny and romantic role opposite Denholm Elliott in A Room with a View (1985) and then his unusual role in Gothic (1986) that audiences noticed him and were fascinated with his good looks and unusual but sometimes chilling appearance. He continued work on screen in Vibes (1988), Impromptu (1991) and Steven Spielberg’s Arachnophobia (1990), until his most remembered role as Warlock (1989), directed by Steve Miner. The film was such a major success that he returned for the terrifying sequel, Warlock: The Armageddon (1993). His other credits include Naked Lunch (1991), Tale of a Vampire (1992) and the title role in Dario Argento’s The Phantom of the Opera (1998). Sands has more recently been in Stephen King’s Rose Red (2002) and is also occasionally seen on the English stage.
Julian Sands
Movies
One Night Stand
Los Angeles advertisement director Max visits his friend, artist Charlie, who was diagnosed with A.I.D.S. in New York City. There he meets Karen, they are attracted to each other and after they meet later that day at the concert, they have a passionate night. Then he returns home to Los…
Fun Facts
Is married to Guinness heiress Evgenia Citkowitz, whose sister Ivana was actually the daughter of writer Ivan Moffat. Evgenia and Ivana are the granddaughters of the late Maureen [Guinness], Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, one of a glamorous trio of sisters.
Was introduced to his current wife, Evgenia, by John Malkovich.
Was novelist Anne Rice's choice to play Lestat in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994). More marquee value was needed for the role and the part ultimately went to Tom Cruise.
Studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, where he met first wife Sarah, a journalist.
His early theatre days were spent with the Forum Theatre Company.
Turned down the role of Travis Dane in Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995).
His son Henry was born in 1985.
Has two younger daughters from his second marriage: Natalya Morley Sands (b. 14/16 August 1996), and Imogen Morley Sands (b. 31 December 1999).
He likes running and has been known to run in "Nike"" & ""Brooks"" running shoes.
Was seen as British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the play ""Stuff Happens"" at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. [July 2005]
In 1991 he was scheduled to have played the role of Charles Gould in David Lean's adaptation of Joseph Conrad's Nostromo. Lean's death in April 1991 brought the production to an end.
Born on exactly the same date as Matt Frewer (of ""Max Headroom"" fame)."
Quotes
I just love doing broader work - I always get asked to do fairly heavy-duty, intense dramas and interesting, psychologically intense characters. But you know, it's nice to make people laugh sometimes.
Actors have a magic gene within them - I think they're the finest descendants of rogues and vagabonds - and it's all too easily forgotten what the acting legacy is.
Acting has been gentrified. It's become part of the bourgeoisie. But there was a time when it would be a great scandal if you announced you were going to be an actor.
There was a time when it would be a great scandal if you announced you were going to be an actor.
The thing about Mumbai is you go five yards and all of human existence is revealed. It's an incredible cavalcade of life, and I love that.
If one is reported as having set up camp overseas, it's as if one has made oneself unavailable.
I'm more enthusiastic and excited about work than ever. I know now what I'm about.
I subscribe to that school of thespian - to be a wandering minstrel or traveling player, a thing of rags and patches, of ballads, songs and snatches.
As a fortysomething actor, you reach a plateau of maturity from which you can really get stuck in.
All actors are on the run from some demon or other.
Nobody could disappear to their trailer once it was up and running, you were all there on the same stage. It was 10 days of rehearsal and 10 days of shooting, which was very tiring.
If you watch [Laurence] Olivier's interviews, he has this reptilian tongue; it seems too big for his mouth. My pursuit of that became distracting, so I let it go. The thrill was finding the right pair of glasses.
I think there is an immense charm and humanity about the Bollywood structure, probably in the way there was about Hollywood film in the '30s and '40s. Somehow they were less distracted about hardware, and more about production values and people, you know?