Tom Sizemore, well renowned for his gritty tough-guy performances in classic films such as Saving Private Ryan, has died at the age of 61.
Sizemore, whose career in Hollywood has long been marred by legal issues and drug challenges, suffered a brain aneurysm on February 18 that left him in a serious condition.
The actor was in a coma and being treated in critical care. According to a February 27 statement, physicians told the family that there is no further hope and advised them to make an end-of-life choice.
The actor’s manager, Charles Lago, revealed in a statement that his family took him off life support on March 3.
Lago said in a statement that it is with tremendous grief and sorrow that he must report that actor Thomas Edward Sizemore (‘Tom Sizemore’) died peacefully in his sleep at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Burbank. His brother Paul, as well as twin brothers Jayden and Jagger (17), were at his side.
His brother Paul Sizemore said in a statement that he is very devastated by his big brother Tom’s death. He was really bigger than life. Tom has had the greatest impact on his life of anybody that he knows. Tom was gifted, kind, and generous, and his humor and storytelling abilities could keep you captivated for hours. He is heartbroken that he is no longer with them and will miss him forever.
Sizemore was born in Detroit, Michigan on November 29, 1961. Born on the Fourth of July, Point Break, True Romance, and Natural Born Killers were among his early films in which he had a small part.
He continued his career with a highly-received supporting role in the renowned heist film Heat in 1995, as well as a recurring role on the TV series China Beach.
Sizemore is best recognised for his role as Sgt. Mike Horvath in Steven Spielberg’s classic 1998 World War II thriller Saving Private Ryan.
Saving Private Ryan was the highest-grossing picture of the year in the United States, and it received numerous Academy Awards. Sizemore’s performance was well-received and helped further his career, despite the fact that he did not receive any accolades for it.
Sizemore went on to star in more action and war films, including Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down. He also provided voiceovers in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Sizemore did a lot of great things, but he had a long history of drug abuse and legal problems that sometimes overshadowed them. The actor said that he had struggled with addiction since he was 15 years old.
Sizemore’s troubles with addiction led to legal issues. In 2003, Sizemore was found guilty of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend Heidi Fleiss. Fleiss said that Sizemore hit her in the jaw, which led to the charges.
He was sentenced to probation, treatment, and anger management, as well as 7 months in prison for failing drug tests while on probation.
In 2007, he was caught with methamphetamine while on probation for a previous crime. He pleaded not guilty to domestic violence charges for hitting his girlfriend in 2017. A lady also accused Sizemore of sexually assaulting her on set when she was 11 years old in 2017. Sizemore rejected the allegations, and the case was ultimately dropped. Sizemore was arrested in 2019 for misdemeanor drug possession.
Sizemore has been honest about his battle with addiction and his battles to stay sober throughout the years.
Sizemore claims in his 2016 biography that his Heat co-star Robert DeNiro once pushed him to go to rehab, warning him he was “going to die.”
In 2010, Sizemore starred with Dr. Drew on the third season of the reality series Celebrity Rehab.
Even though his personal problems affected his work a lot and often took the spotlight away from it, Sizemore continued to act in dozens of movies. He appeared in episodes of Hawaii Five-0, Shooter, and the 2017 reincarnation of Twin Peaks.
Sizemore is survived by his 17-year-old twin boys, Jagger and Jayden. Janelle McIntire, Sizemore’s previous lover, is their mother.
Tom Sizemore, rest in peace. Despite a turbulent life, he will be respected for his amazing performances in so many legendary films.
