Actor Tom Sizemore was being remembered as extremely talented — and sometimes troubled — following his death 13 days after suffering a brain aneurysm. He was 61.
Sizemore “passed away peacefully in his sleep” Friday at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank with his brother Paul and 17-year-old twin sons Jayden and Jagger at his side, his manager Charles Lago said in a statement.
Known for his roles in such films as “Saving Private Ryan,” “Born on the Fourth of July” and “Black Hawk Down,” the Detroit native also struggled with addiction and legal woes.
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of my big brother Tom,” Paul Sizemore said in a statement. “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. I am devastated he is gone and will miss him always.”
Lago added his own remembrance in his official statement.
“On a personal note, I am very saddened by the loss of not only a client but a great friend and mentor of almost 15 years,” Lago wrote. “Tom was one of the most sincere, kind and generous human beings I have had the pleasure of knowing. His courage and determination through adversity was always an inspiration to me. The past couple of years were great for him and he was getting his life back to a great place. He loved his sons and his family. I will miss my friend Tom Sizemore Greatly.”
Author James Leighton, recalled Sizemore’s “raw intensity” in a string of 1990s films that also included “Heat,” “Natural Born Killers,” “Enemy of the State,” and “Bringing Out The Dead.”
“Before his troubles he was one of the most exciting young actors on the planet,” Leighton tweeted.
Director-producer Julian Higgins, remembered directing Sizemore in 2011’s “The Colombian Connection.”
“Tom Sizemore was a wild and untethered howitzer of acting presence and performance,” Higgins wrote on Twitter. “Lucky to have had him in a film of mine once upon a time. Just unearthed this memory, me 25 years old and staring down the barrel as a young director. Rest in peace, man.”
Sizemore collapsed at his Los Angeles home at around 2 a.m. Feb. 18 and was hospitalized in intensive care after doctors determined he had suffered a brain aneurism as a result of a stroke, Lago told City News Service last month.
“Since that day, Tom has remained in critical condition, in a coma and in intensive care,” Lago said, and never regained consciousness.
His career was marred by drug and legal difficulties. He was convicted of domestic violence against his then-girlfriend, former “Hollywood Madam” Heidi Fleiss, in 2003. Two years later, he was sentenced to seven months in jail for repeatedly failing drug tests while on probation.
Sizemore pleaded no contest to two charges of domestic abuse in 2017 for assaulting another girlfriend, receiving 36 months of summary probation.
In 2018, an actress sued Sizemore for $3 million in damages, alleging the actor sexually assaulted her when she was an 11-year-old child working in Utah on “Natural Born Killers.” He denied the allegations and a Utah judge dismissed the lawsuit in 2020.
In January 2019, he was arrested on suspicion of possessing various illegal drugs in Burbank. A 2007 arrest resulted in a 16-month prison sentence that was reduced to nine months, but included a stint in solitary confinement at the California Institution for Men in Chino.
Sizemore admitted in 2017 that he had “battled substance abuse and related demons for years,” with several stays in rehab.
He appeared on the VH1 series “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” in 2010 and its spinoff, “Sober House.”
His other film roles included “Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man,” “Passenger 57,” “True Romance,” and “Strange Days” — all in the 1990s — and “Red Planet” (2000) and “Pearl Harbor” (2001).
Sizemore also appeared in Showtime’s 2017 revival of “Twin Peaks” and voiced a character in the popular video game “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.”
His friend, actor Robert Davi, paid tribute to the late actor’s talent and acknowledged his challenges.
“Am saddened to hear of Tom Sizemore’s end of life – his family has my prayers – Tom and I were friends I knew of his suffering & his struggle with Addition – he was a terrific talent – Many families suffer from the heartbreak and tragedy of this disease and we do not do enough!!”
–City News Service