Acting My Life

Over the last fifty years Ian Holm has become one of the most respected and widely admired actors of his generation. After making a brilliant impact at the RSC in the 1960s, he consolidated his reputation with work for Harold Pinter, and then turned to film, appearing in cult and popular classics such as Alien, Chariots of Fire, The Fifth Element and Lord of the Rings. His varied career, encompassing stage, screen, television and radio, has seen him play an android, Napoleon, Polonius, King Lear, Hercule Poirot, Lewis Carroll and a hobbit, amongst many others. Often candid and funny, Ian Holm's autobiography is a compelling mix of anecdote and observation, revealing his lifelong commitment to acting. That same intensity and captivating charm now enrich his writing.