Actor Tom Sizemore, known for his roles in Saving Private Ryan and other films in the late 1990s and early 2000s, died March 3, after suffering a brain aneurysm in mid-February, his representative Charles Lago confirmed to CNN.
Sizemore had been hospitalized in critical condition since February 18 after suffering the aneurysm. He remained in a coma in intensive care, with doctors informing the actor’s family on February 27 there was “no further hope” for his recovery and recommending an end-of-life discussion.
Sizemore passed away peacefully in his sleep, Lago said, with his two sons and brother Paul Sizemore present. “He was talented, loving, giving, and could keep you entertained endlessly with his wit and storytelling ability,” Paul Sizemore said in a statement. “I am devastated he is gone and will miss him always.”
Born in Detroit, Sizemore became known for playing tough guys in moves and TV. His most notable role was Sergeant Mike Horvath in Steven Spielberg’s 1998 war epic Saving Private Ryan, and he appeared in other notable films, including Natural Born Killers (1994), Heat (1995), The Relic (1997), Black Hawk Down (2001), and Pearl Harbor (2001). He received a Golden Globe Award nomination in 2000 for Best Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Motion Picture for his part as Boston gangster Bobby Batton in Witness Protection.
More recently, he appeared in a season six episode of the hit Netflix series Kobra Kai, as well as in six episodes of Showtime’s 2017 revival of Twin Peaks as Anthony Sinclair.
Multiple actors honored Sizemore following his death, including Danny Trejo who tweeted he was a “beautiful guy” and shared a photo of Sizemore with Heat castmembers Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer.
Sizemore battled drug addiction throughout his career and had legal troubles. He appeared on VH1’s Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2010. In an interview with Larry King that same year, he told the popular TV host that he became addicted to cocaine after moving to Los Angeles as his film career grew. He also admitted to using crystal meth.
Sizemore was convicted on domestic violence charges in 2003 stemming from his relationship with former fiancée Heidi Fleiss; he served six months in jail. In 2007, he was sentenced to 16 months in prison for violating his probation in a separate drug case.
In 2020, a Utah judge dismissed a civil lawsuit against Sizemore alleging he groped an 11-year-old actress on a movie set in 2003.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff in 2023, and before that had worked almost eight years as a newspaper reporter and copy editor. He is a graduate of Syracuse University, an avid sports fan, a frequent moviegoer, and trivia buff.
