Tom Sizemore, a well-known actor who starred in hit films such as “Saving Private Ryan”, “Natural Born Killers” and “Heat”, has passed away, as confirmed to reporters by his representative, Charles Lago, on Friday. He was 61 years old. In mid-February, Sizemore had suffered a brain aneurysm and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Lago announced in a statement released on behalf of the family that Sizemore passed away peacefully in his sleep at the Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, with his two sons and his brother, Paul Sizemore, present. Paul expressed his sorrow in the statement, saying, “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. I am devastated he is gone and will miss him always.”
Earlier Monday, Sizemore’s family declared that doctors had informed them that there was “no further hope” and had recommended “end of life decision” due to the condition of his health. The family asked for privacy during this difficult time and thanked everyone for their supportive messages and prayers.
Tom Sizemore’s career in Hollywood began in Detroit, playing tough guys in movies. He had an early, small role in the 1989 Oliver Stone film “Born on the Fourth of July”, and also had his television break playing Sgt. Vinnie Ventresca in the ABC series “China Beach”. He went on to star in a variety of films, including “Point Break” in 1991, “True Romance” in 1993, “Natural Born Killers” in 1994 and “Strange Days” in 1995. His costarring role as Bat Masterson in Kevin Costner’s western “Wyatt Earp” earned him acclaim. Other major roles of his include “Pearl Harbor” and “Black Hawk Down”, both released in 2001. He was most well-known for his role as Sgt. Mike Horvath in the 1998 World War II film “Saving Private Ryan”. Sizemore had recently appeared in the Netflix series “Cobra Kai” and the independent supernatural film, “Impuratus”.
Although Sizemore received fame on screen, his off-screen life was often subject to coverage. He had a long battle with substance abuse, and in 2003 was convicted of domestic abuse against former girlfriend, Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss. He also had other legal run-ins and in 2010, appeared on the VH1 series “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew”. In an interview with Decider in 2022, Sizemore talked about starring in the comedy series “Barbee Rehab” and said he had some hesitancy in taking on the role, but due to its goofiness and the fact that it was not about drugs, he got over it. He also shared his memories of watching movies like “The Wizard of Oz” as a child and “Taxi Driver” as a teenager, saying that it was then that he first started to think about wanting to be part of making movies.