According to his management, American actor Tom Sizemore, who starred in the films Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down, has away at the age of 61.
Sizemore rose to reputation in the 1990s by frequently portraying strong males in supporting roles—typically, the military, police, or criminals. Heat, Pearl Harbor, and Natural Born Killers were among his other filmography credits. Yet he also struggled with drug abuse and spent time in prison for domestic abuse.
After physicians determined there was nothing else they could do for him following a brain aneurysm in February, he was taken off life support on Friday, according to Charles Lago.
“It is with great sadness and sorrow I have to announce that actor Thomas Edward Sizemore (‘Tom Sizemore’) aged 61 passed away peacefully in his sleep today at St Joseph’s Hospital Burbank,” a statement read.
“His brother Paul and twin boys Jayden and Jagger (17) were by his side.” Throughout a decades-long career, the actor collaborated with some of the most well-known figures in Hollywood, but off the screen, he had a life that was frequently turbulent, suffering from addiction and spending time in jail.
Sizemore, who was born in Detroit in 1961, began his acting career in New York City in the 1980s. Oliver Stone’s 1989 film “Born on the Fourth of July” was Sizemore’s breakthrough performance.
He had several film appearances in the 1990s, including Quentin Tarantino’s star-studded “True Romance” and Oliver Stone’s bloody cult classic “Natural Born Killers.”
His brother Paul Sizemore remarked “I am deeply saddened by the loss of my big brother Tom. He was larger than life. He has influenced my life more than anyone I know.”
“He was talented, loving, giving and could keep you entertained endlessly with his wit and storytelling ability.”
For his role as a gangster in the 1999 television film Witness Protection, Sizemore received a Golden Globe nomination. In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, released in 2002, he portrayed the mafia lord Sonny Forelli’s voice.
He recounted in his memoirs his heroin and crystal meth addictions, which came along with fame and wealth and led to a serious drug habit.
He said how De Niro threatened to have Sizemore “arrested for heroin possession” if he didn’t enter a rehabilitation facility during one of his stays there in 1995, pushing Sizemore into it. Sizemore went into rehab.
Steven Spielberg, the director of Saving Private Ryan, reportedly threatened to terminate the actor at the first indication of drug use and have the movie reshot without him. Sizemore, though, had trouble staying tidy. Other “personal demons” were also present.
