On Friday, Ian Holm passed away in London, England. USA Today reports that Holm's agent confirmed the news of his death. And according to CNN, he was surrounded by his family.

In recent years, he had been in declining health and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He'd also survived prostate cancer. It had been a number of years since he took on an acting role.

Ian Holm was a successful actor in movies, television, and on stage. His career spread across parts or all of seven decades. He took on various roles, including Napoleon Bonaparte on three separate occasions.

Holm was a native of Essex

Ian Holm was born in 1931 in Goodmayes, in Essex, located in southeastern England. His parents were both in the medical profession—a psychiatrist and a nurse, respectively. A brother, Eric, died in 1943.

A trip to the dentist would change the course of Holm's life. He would meet Shakespearean actor Henry Boynton. Boynton would go on to help Holm get into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. One of the world's most prestigious drama schools. Holm would also serve in the British Army.

His career took off during the 1960s

Holm's big breakthrough was likely with the Royal Shakespeare Company. That also led to his television breakthrough. This was when he appeared in a BBC production of "The War of the Roses".

In 1967, he won a Tony Award for his work on stage in "The Homecoming". Two years later, he won a BAFTA Award for the military movie "The Bofors Gun". The first year of many that he would be recognized by the British Academy of Film and Television. The next time would be when he received two nominations in the same year for his work on television.

Holm reached a new level of notoriety in 1979. That was the year "Alien" was released, in which he took on a villainous role. In 1989, he co-starred in "Chariots of Fire". The movie would win four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Holm himself was nominated for an Academy Award and won his second BAFTA Award. He'd later receive two more BAFTA nominations, one in television ("Game, Set and Match") and one in movies ("The Madness of King George").

The 1990s were a high-profile time for Holm. His movie credits include "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" and "The Fifth Element". A stage production of "King Lear" earned him a Laurence Olivier Award. A televised performance of the production also led to a Primetime Emmy nomination.

The early 2000s saw a second Primetime Emmy nomination for "The Last of the Blonde Bombshells". It also featured the first installment of the film trilogy "The Lord of the Rings".

Holm had previously been attached to the franchise on a radio production. The trilogy would become one of the highest-grossing of all-time. It also racked up several awards and nominations, including a Best Picture Academy Award for the third installment.

Holm returned to the franchise again later, appearing in two of the installments of "The Hobbit" trilogy. Other later movie roles include ones in "The Day After Tomorrow" and "The Aviator".

In 1989, Holm was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He would later be knighted in 1998.