We lost another Hollywood star today. Actor Ian Holm, who many will remember as the elder Bilbo Baggins from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, has passed away. Born in Essex, southeast England, in 1931, Holm attended the RADA drama school in London.

Holm also starred as Ash in Ridley Scott’s “Alien” and athletics coach Sam Mussabini in the 1981 movie “Chariots of Fire,” a performance for which he was nominated for an Oscar.

Explaining his ability to immerse himself in such disparate characters, Mr. Holm said simply, “I’m a chameleon.” The transformation was emotional as well as physical, as he discovered new depths of compassion even in the most unlikely characters.

Isabella Riggs, an employee of his agents, Markham, Froggatt & Irwin, confirmed the death, in a hospital. She said the cause was an illness related to Parkinson’s disease.

Ian Holm was 88 years old when he passed away. He will be missed.