RIP: Tom Sizemore dies at 61

Last Updated on March 17, 2023

Tom Sizemore, an intense presence best known for his supporting roles, has died at the age of 61.

Two weeks ago, Tom Sizemore suffered a stroke, which caused a brain aneurysm. At the time, his manager, Charles Lago, said, “he is currently in critical condition, and it’s a wait-and-see situation.” As more details emerged, he informed fans, “Sizemore collapsed at his Los Angeles home and was transported to a hospital by Paramedics. He was found to be suffering from a brain aneurism that occurred as a result of a stroke. Since that day, Tom has remained in critical condition, in a coma and in intensive care.” With Sizemore in a coma, doctors soon informed the family that there was no hope for his recovery or survival.

Tom Sizemore’s career spanned more than three decades, beginning with a quartet of small bits in 1989, notably Born on the Fourth of July. Five years later, Oliver Stone would cast him in Natural Born Killers as Detective Jack Scagnetti, tasked with tracking down the titular murderers. That role, along with others from the 1990s–Detective Cody Nicholson in True Romance, Michael Cheritto in Heat, Sergeant First Class Mike Horvath in Saving Private Ryan, and Tom Wolls in Bringing Out the Dead–remain some of his most memorable. These movies, too,  showed that major directors–Tony Scott, Michael Mann, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese–saw something in his off-kilter demeanor that would lend itself to the project.

Issues with substance abuse, allegations of sexual misconduct and more plagued Tom Sizemore’s career, making him an easy mark for Hollywood punchlines. Still, Sizemore remained consistently employed, releasing movies every year since his 1989 debut. Even as his career dwindled and his movies became less something to seek out (if you get to the point where you’re playing yourself in an Insane Clown Posse movie…), Sizemore still showed his love for the craft and a paycheck, churning out somewhere around four dozen projects in the last five years.

Still, one can’t discount his finest performances and undeniable on-screen presence. What is your favorite Tom Sizemore performance? Where did he stand out most in a supporting turn?

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