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 Verloren und verdammt (1984) and then with Anthony Hopkins in the television film A Married Man (1983). He drew attention in small roles in Hey, Soldat - dein Täschchen brennt (1983) and Killing Fields - Schreiendes Land (1984) but it was not until his funny and romantic role opposite Helena Bonham Carter in Zimmer mit Aussicht (1985), followed by his unusual role in Gothic (1986), that he began to garner audience acclaim.
He continued work on screen in Vibes - Die Jagd nach der glühenden Pyramide (1988), Verliebt in Chopin (1991) and Steven Spielberg's Arachnophobia (1990), until his most remembered role as Warlock - Satans Sohn (1989), directed by Steve Miner. The film was a major success and he returned for the sequel, Warlock - Satans Sohn kehrt zurück (1993). Other credits included Naked Lunch (1991), Tale of a Vampire (1992) and the title role in Dario Argento's Das Phantom der Oper (1998).
Sands was more recently seen in Stephen King's Stephen Kings Haus der Verdammnis (2002), and had occasionally acted on the English stage.
Sands disappeared on January 13, 2023 after going for a hike near the Mount Baldy area of California's San Bernardino Mountains. Local authorities and search and rescue teams conducted over six weeks of multiple ground and aerial searches, which were unsuccessful. On June 24, 2023, hikers near Mount Baldy discovered human remains. On June 27, 2023, local authorities confirmed the remains to be those of Sands. He was 65 years old.
