British Actor Julian Sands Reported Missing in California Mountains

The 76th Venice Film Festival - Screening of the film "The Painted Bird" in competition - Venice, Italy September 3, 2019 - Actor Julian Sands poses before an interview. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
The 76th Venice Film Festival - Screening of the film "The Painted Bird" in competition - Venice, Italy September 3, 2019 - Actor Julian Sands poses before an interview. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
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British Actor Julian Sands Reported Missing in California Mountains

The 76th Venice Film Festival - Screening of the film "The Painted Bird" in competition - Venice, Italy September 3, 2019 - Actor Julian Sands poses before an interview. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
The 76th Venice Film Festival - Screening of the film "The Painted Bird" in competition - Venice, Italy September 3, 2019 - Actor Julian Sands poses before an interview. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw

British-born film actor Julian Sands, known for his starring roles in such films as "A Room with a View" and "Warlock," has gone missing in the mountains of Southern California, media outlets reported on Wednesday, citing local authorities.

The 65-year-old performer was reported missing by his wife on Friday evening, Jan. 13, after he had gone hiking in the Baldy Bowl area of the San Gabriel Mountains, according to Los Angeles television station KABC-TV and the Hollywood trade publication Variety.

"From what I understand, he left sometime that day for a hike and when he did not return, his family reported him missing," KABC-TV quoted Gloria Huerta, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department, as telling the news outlet.

Ground teams immediately launched a search for the actor but the effort was called off about 24 hours later due to avalanche risks and poor trail conditions, according to Variety, which also cited the sheriff's department.

Intermittent aerial searches by helicopter and drone aircraft have continued, however, and authorities planned to resume a ground search once conditions allow, Reuters quoted Variety as saying.

The Baldy Bowl, about 50 miles northeast of Los Angeles just below the Mount Baldy ski area, is a popular destination for skiers, climbers and hikers.

But the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department issued an advisory on Thursday warning that severe winter weather, following weeks of storms that dumped torrential rain and heavy snow across California, has made the area dangerous for outdoor recreation.

Over the past four weeks, the sheriff's search teams have been dispatched on 14 rescue missions on Mount Baldy and surrounding areas for lost or stranded hikers, two of whom perished after falling or injuring themselves, the advisory said.



New Film Academy Members Include Danielle Deadwyler, Ariana Grande, Jason Momoa, Conan O’Brien

Ariana Grande. (Getty Images/AFP)
Ariana Grande. (Getty Images/AFP)
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New Film Academy Members Include Danielle Deadwyler, Ariana Grande, Jason Momoa, Conan O’Brien

Ariana Grande. (Getty Images/AFP)
Ariana Grande. (Getty Images/AFP)

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited 534 new members to its organization on Thursday, adding recent Oscar nominees and many more to Hollywood's most exclusive club.

The newest class of Oscar voters includes a number of stars like Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa, Aubrey Plaza, Danielle Deadwyler and Andrew Scott. They, along with filmmakers, below-the-line professionals and executives will bring the film academy's membership total to 11,120, with voting members numbering 10,143.

That's the largest membership ever for the academy. Since the #OscarsSoWhite backlash, the film academy has added thousands of members to swell its ranks and diversify its voting body. This year's class is 41% female, 45% from underrepresented communities and 55% from outside the US.

Those new members will make the entire academy 35% women, 22% from underrepresented communities and 21% international.

"We are thrilled to invite this esteemed class of artists, technologists, and professionals to join the Academy," said academy chief executive Bill Kramer and president Janet Yang in a statement. "Through their commitment to filmmaking and to the greater movie industry, these exceptionally talented individuals have made indelible contributions to our global filmmaking community."

Invitations went out to 91 Oscar nominees and 26 winners, including best actress winner Mikey Madison ("Anora") and best supporting actor winner Kieran Culkin ("A Real Pain"). Recent nominees who were invited include Ariana Grande, Jeremy Strong, Sebastian Stan and Monica Barbara. Gints Zilbalodis, the director of best animated film winner "Flow" will join the animation branch.

Other filmmakers set to join the academy include Mike Flanagan ("Doctor Sleep"), Azazel Jacobs ("His Three Daughters"), Brady Corbet ("The Brutalist"), Coraline Fargeat ("The Substance") Jane Schoenbrun ("I Saw the TV Glow"), Halina Reijn ("Babygirl") and Gia Coppola ("The Last Showgirl").

Payal Kapadia ("All We Imagine As Light"), Lena Waithe ("Queen & Slim") and Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley of "Sing Sing" were all invited in the writers branch. In the music branch, new members include Brandi Carlile ("Elton John: Never Too Late"), Branford Marsalis ("Rustin") and Youssou N’Dour ("Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love").

The last two emcees to host the Oscars — Jimmy Kimmel and Conan O'Brien — were also invited as members. After a well-reviewed broadcast that drew 19.7 million viewers, O'Brien is returning to host the 2026 Academy Awards on March 15.

A few new rules will await the 2025 academy members.

For the first time, members will be required to watch all nominated films in each category to be eligible to vote in the final road of Oscar voting. This year, a new award category for casting will be voted on for the upcoming Oscars. The academy has also established a new Oscar for stunt design, but that won't be given out until 2028.