Tom Sizemore (original) (raw)
Tom Sizemore(1961-2023)
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
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The Magnificent Raiders of Dimension War One (2025)
Tom Sizemore rose in prominence throughout the 1990s, establishing himself as a memorable tough-guy actor, sought by the most respected directors in the business.
Thomas Edward Sizemore, Jr. was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Judith (Schannault), an ombudsman staff member, and Thomas Edward Sizemore, Sr., a lawyer and professor. Sizemore grew up idolizing the tough-guy characters of the movies he watched. After attending Wayne State University, he got his master's degree in theatre from Temple University in 1986.
Like many, he moved to New York City and struggled, waiting tables and performing in plays. His first break came whenOliver Stone cast him in a bit part inBorn on the Fourth of July (1989). Bigger roles soon followed throughout the early 1990s, such asGuilty by Suspicion (1991),True Romance (1993), andStriking Distance (1993). 1994 proved to be an even bigger year for Sizemore, as he won the role of "Bat Masterson" in Kevin Costner's star-studded biopic Wyatt Earp (1994), as well as one of his first truly memorable roles as "Detective Jack Scagnetti" in Oliver Stone's controversialNatural Born Killers (1994). In 1995 he appeared inDevil in a Blue Dress (1995),Strange Days (1995), as well as the acclaimed crime epic Heat (1995), directed by Michael Mann. Sizemore's first big leading role is inThe Relic (1997), the big-budget effects thriller directed by Peter Hyams.
According to a 2001 interview in The Calgary Sun, Sizemore entered a drug rehabilitation program in 1998 after his mother and his friendRobert De Niro appeared on his door-step during the filming ofWitness to the Mob (1998). Telling him they were there to drive him to jail or to rehabilitation, Sizemore chose the latter. After completing rehabilitation, he counseled adolescents involved in substance abuse.
Offered roles in W.W.II films directed by bothTerrence Malick andSteven Spielberg, Sizemore chose the role of "Sergeant Horvath" inSaving Private Ryan (1998). The role and film received wide acclaim and introduced Sizemore's talents to a much broader audience in a more human and well-rounded role than he had previously been given. Sizemore also credits this shoot and Steven Spielberg for helping him with his recovery from addiction, withSteven Spielberg threatening to re-shoot the entire film if Sizemore failed a drug test even once.
After a flamboyant and uncredited mobster role inEnemy of the State (1998), Sizemore then portrayed a psychotic paramedic inBringing Out the Dead (1999)directed by Martin Scorsese. Seemingly taking it easy, he then turned in fine but stereotypical performances inPlay It to the Bone (1999),Red Planet (2000), andPearl Harbor (2001). Sizemore then received another leading role in the high-profile military dramaBlack Hawk Down (2001) directed by yet another legendary director,Ridley Scott.
Specializing in the sort of ultimate tough-guy/manly man roles that hearken back to a different era in film, Sizemore continued to be a favorite of Hollywood's greatest directors. Never afraid to speak his mind about anyone and anything, his sense of blunt honesty and lack of pretension was refreshing. A commanding voice and presence on film, Sizemore looked to continue as one of Hollywood's greatest actors, until his untimely death from a brain aneurysm on March 3, 2023.
Remembering Tom Sizemore: 1961-2023
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