Tom Sizemore has died after being taken off life support, his manager Charles Lago confirmed to Variety on Friday. The 61-year-old actor suffered a brain aneurysm on 18 February.
“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,” Lago said in a statement. “His brother Paul and twin boys Jayden and Jagger (17) were at his side.”
Lago previously said “doctors informed his family that there is no further hope and have recommended end of life decision.”
On 18 February, Sizemore collapsed in his home in Los Angeles and was brought to the hospital by paramedics. It was then discovered he had suffered a brain aneurysm due to a stroke. The actor remained in critical condition in a coma and never regained consciousness.
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of my big brother Tom,” his brother 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.”
Sizemore was born in Detroit on 29 November 1961. He moved to LA in the ‘80s to pursue an acting career, and one of his first appearances was in Oliver Stone’s 1989 Academy Award best picture nominee Born on the Fourth of July.
His breakthrough came in the 1990s with films such as Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man, Passenger 57, True Romance, and Natural Born Killers. He was best known for his roles in films such as Heart and Souls, Saving Private Ryan, Pearl Harbor, Heat, and Black Hawk Down.
His personal life was marred with frequent drug use and accusations of domestic violence. In 2003, he was convicted of domestic violence against his then-girlfriend. In 2017, he pleaded no contest to two charges of domestic violence after being arrested for assaulting his partner.
According to Variety, in 2005, Sizemore was sentenced to several months in jail after being caught attempting to fake a urine test. In 2007, he was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, and again in 2019, for possession of “various illegal narcotics.”
Sizemore has been public about his struggles with substance abuse, appearing on Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew and Dr. Phil to discuss his legal troubles.
In 1998, the actor shared that his Heat and Witness to the Mob co-star, Robert De Niro, personally assisted in helping him enter a drug rehabilitation program. In 2013, the actor released a memoir detailing his career and personal battle with addiction, titled By Some Miracle I Made It Out of There.
Sizemore is survived by his two children, Jagger and Jayden.