Mini Biography
Tall, gaunt--particularly in horror and drama films--British actor Julian Sands came to the attention of NBC when the network cast him in the made-for-TV The Sun Also Rises (1984) (TV) and then with Anthony Hopkins in the television film A Married Man (1983) (TV). Sands also got notice in his very small roles in Privates on Parade (1982) 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 (1990) (TV). Sands has more recently been in Stephen King's "Rose Red" (2002) and is also occasionally seen on the English stage.

Spouse
Evgenia Citkowitz (1990 - present) 2 children
Sarah Sands (? - 1987) (divorced) 1 child


Trivia
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.
In 1986, he abandoned his wife Sarah, a journalist, and their 6-month-old son, Henry.
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 young daughters from his second marriage: Natalya Morley Sands (b. August 16th 1996), and Imogen Morley Sands (b. December 31st 1999).
He likes running and has been known to run in "Nike" & "Brooks" running shoes.

Where Are They Now
(July 2005) Was seen as British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the play "Stuff Happens" at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles
 

Born: 1958-01-15
Birth place: Otley, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
Nationality: English
Profession: director, actor, stage manager

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Biography

Tall, blond and striking, with angular features and an unmistakable European air, British actor Julian Sands looked right at home in the tasteful historical dramas, gothic horror films, and international espionage roles he became known for. This veteran actor started out charming audiences in the 1985 film "A Room With A View," but darker roles in "Warlock" (1989), "Boxing Helena" (1993), and a string of films with director Mike Figgis always suggested a powerful talent with the potential to become a household name if the right role came along.

Julian Sands was born in Otley, the Yorkshire region of England, in January of 1958. He was classically trained in drama at the Lord Wandsworth College in Hampshire and the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, where one can imagine he refined his elegant and distinct speaking voice. He joined London's Forum Theatre Company and was active with stage work, while dipping his toe into a film career by landing a series of supporting roles in well-respected films like Derek Jarman's short "Broken English," Roland Joffe's Academy Award-winning "The Killing Fields" (1984) and in lighter fare like "Oxford Blues" (1984) and "After Darkness"(1985).

In 1985, James Ivory took a chance on the fair-haired unknown, casting him as the romantic lead in the film adaptation of E.M. Forsters' "A Room with a View," which was the year's critical fave and a Golden Globe and Oscar-nominee for Best Picture. Sands portrayed George Emerson, a Victorian non-conformist with literary leanings and a straightforward romantic manner that sent the object of his affection (Helena Bonham Carter) into a whirlwind of confusion over societal norms. The likeable film earned Sands a pile of attention from swooning females and casting directors alike, with film and TV opportunities abounding as a result. Not surprisingly, he moved from London to Hollywood to make these opportunities happen.

Sands entered the world of the "big" Hollywood picture with parts in middle-of-the-road comedies like "Vibes" (1988) and "Arachnophobia"(1990), but by this point, had tapped into what would be a popular genre for his particular look - the stylized sexual horror film. He played author Percy Shelly in "Gothic" (1986) and further explored the realm of night-dwelling demons in films like "Siesta" (1988), "Warlock" (1989) and "Warlock: The Armageddon" (1993). Sands would revisit the period costume closet to play composer Franz Liszt in "Impromptu" (1991), before associating himself with several films which gained wide attention for their controversial natures - David Cronenberg's creepy "Naked Lunch" (1991) and the daring drama "Boxing Helena" (1992), in which he starred as a psychotic doctor with a fetish for amputees.

In 1994, Sands began what would become a lengthy working relationship with British director Mike Figgis, appearing in the heavy drama "The Browning Version." The following year, he combined everything he'd learned in psycho-sexual roles and added a sinister Eastern Block twist to create the pimp in Figgis' Academy Award-winning "Leaving Las Vegas"(1995). Figgis, who had always had a strained relationship with the Hollywood system, cast Sands in "The Loss of Sexual Innocence" (1999) before deciding to take a more experimental direction in filmmaking. Sands followed him into this cutting edge territory by appearing in the technically ambitious film, "Timecode," (2000), which was shot with four cameras simultaneously and presented in four quadrants on one screen.

In 1998, Sands enjoyed the opportunity to work with legendary Italian director Dario Argento on the critically bombed Italian filmed version of "Phantom of the Opera" before TV roles began to take up the bulk of his schedule. He starred in the miniseries "Rose Red" and "Napoleon" and began a string of one-offs on popular series such as "The L Word" (HBO, 2004-), "Stargate SG-1" (Syndicated, 1997-) and "Law & Order: SVU" (NBC, 1999-). In 2006, Sands got a profile boost and a regular paycheck when he was cast as the villainous Vladimir Bierko in the award-winning action series "24" (Fox, 2001-). Bierko was killed (and had his knees broken) by Jack Bauer during season five.

Family

SON: Henry Sands. Mother, Sarah Sands.
Companion
WIFE: Sarah Sands. Journalist. Divorced c. 1986.
WIFE: Evgenia Citkowitz. Screenwriter.


Milestone

Founded small theater company that performed in schools and youth clubs
First film appearance in Derek Jarman short, "Broken English"
1981: TV debut in "A Married Man" on England's Channel Four (syndicated in 1984)
1982: First appearance in feature film, "Privates on Parade"; had one-line part
1984: Had a featured role in Roland Joffe's "The Killing Fields"
1984: Appeared in the comedy "Oxford Blues"
1985: Featured in the NBC TV-movie "Romance on the Orient Express"
1986: Had a memorable featured role in the Merchant-Ivory production "A Room With a View"
1986: Played Percy Bysshe Shelley in "Gothic", a Ken Russell film based loosely upon the memoirs of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
1987: Starred in the Robert Altman-directed ABC TV-movie presentation "The Room", based on Harold Pinter's one-act play
1988: Featured in the quirky psychic comedy "Vibes"
1989: Starred as a 17th-century "Warlock" in Steve Miner's time travel adventure
1990: Had a starring role in "Il Sole anche di notte", a Italian-French co-production helmed by the Taviani brothers
1990: Featured in the thriller "Arachnophobia"
1991: Had a supporting role in David Cronenberg's ambitious "Naked Lunch"
1991: Played Franz Liszt in James Lapine's "Impromptu" and Gustav Jung in Carlo Lizzani's "Cattiva"
1992: Acted in TNT's "Grand Isle", a TV-movie drama based on Kate Chopin's "The Awakening"
1993: Starred in Jennifer Chambers Lynch's notorious directorial debut "Boxing Helena"
1993: Reprised titular role in "Warlock: The Armageddon"
1994: Played a leftist German author encountering the rise of facism in 1920s Italy in Klaus Maria Bransauer's "Mario and the Magician"
1994: Co-starred in Mike Figgis' "The Browning Version", the first of several collaborations with the director
1995: Had a supporting role in Figgis' "Leaving Las Vegas"
1995: Acted in the ABC TV-movie "The Great Elephant Escape"
1996: Had a guest starring role on an episode of "Chicago Hope" (CBS)
1997: Appeared in the Mike Figgis drama "One Night Stand"
1999: Starred as "The Phantom of the Opera" in Dario Argento's reworking of the classic tale
1999: Reteamed with Figgis, starring in the episodic "The Loss of Sexual Innocence"
2000: Appeared in the sex-themed suspense thriller "Mercy", aired on HBO
2000: Acted in Figgis' experimental "Timecode", a presentation of four fully improvised movies filmed in a single take and exhibited on a quadruple split screen
2000: Played King Louis XIV in Roland Joffe's "Vatel", the story of a chef and entertainer hired to fete the monarch
2003: Co-starred in the romantic drama "The Scoundrel's Wife"
2006: Joined the cast of the FOX drama "24" in season five as billionaire bad guy, Vladamir Bierko

Education

Central School of Speech and Drama - London, England Central School of Speech and Drama - London, England - acting - 1979 Wadsworth College - Hampshire, England

Notes

"I'd rather do tiny parts in interesting films which give me the opportunity to do slightly different things than do leading roles which are just repeats. I quite like being a troubadour." --Sands quoted in a 1991 Movieline article.