Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies, aged 61
The actor was best known for his roles in films like Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down.
Tom Sizemore, the actor best known for his roles in films like Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down and Natural Born Killers, has died at the age of 61 after being taken off life support, his manager confirmed.
The US actor had been in a coma since suffering a brain aneurysm on 18th February.
His manager, Charles Lago, said he died on Friday (3rd March) at a hospital in Burbank, California.
“It is with great sadness and sorrow I have to announce that actor Thomas Edward Sizemore … passed away peacefully in his sleep today at St Joseph’s Hospital Burbank. His Brother Paul and twin boys Jayden and Jagger were at his side,” Lago said in a statement.
On 28th February, doctors caring for Sizemore said there was "no further hope" for the actor after he suffered the brain aneurysm.
Lago told US media: "Today doctors informed his family that there is no further hope and have recommended end of life decision. The family is now deciding end of life matters and a further statement will be issued on Wednesday."
He continued: "We are asking for privacy for his family during this difficult time, and they wish to thank everyone for the hundreds of messages of support and prayers that have been received. This has been a difficult time for them."
Sizemore's early roles included appearances in Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July in 1989, as well as in Natural Born Killers and in Point Break.
However, it was in the 1990s that Sizemore really began to rise to fame, starring alongside Tom Hanks as Sergeant Horvath in the Oscar-winning Saving Private Ryan in 1998.
The following year, he had his first major leading role as Detective Vincent D’Agosta in The Relic, and was nominated for a Golden Globe for playing a mobster in the 1999 TV movie Witness protection.
In the early 2000s, Sizemore went on to star in action films like Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down.
Throughout the years, Sizemore's career was riddled by scandal, with the actor battling drug addictions and serving time in jail for domestic violence.
In 1997, Sizemore was arrested on suspicion of assaulting his wife, Maeve Quinlan, and in 2003, he was sentenced to six months in prison for beating up his girlfriend, Heidi Fleiss.
More recently, Sizemore starred in the Netflix series Cobra Kai, as well as appearing in a recurring role in the 2017 revival of David Lynch’s cult TV show Twin Peaks.
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Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
