Tom Sizemore Made You Uncomfortable

Tom Sizemore had a wicked grin, a raucous laugh, and a gleam in his eye that could signal a pledge of eternal loyalty or impending murder, depending on the role. Unpredictability and menace defined his signature parts, and even when he played good guys, there was a darkness to them. He acted in dozens of memorable films, including True Romance, Strange Days, Natural Born Killers, Heat, Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, and Pearl Harbor. Offscreen, he abused heroin, cocaine, alcohol, and crystal meth, and during periods when he wasn’t using, he talked to reporters about how hard it was to stay clean. He remained in demand after his ’90s peak, even as his addiction, which he variously said began in his early 30s after moving to Hollywood and as a high schooler in Detroit, sent him spiraling. His career endured even after he was accused of violent crimes, did mandatory public service and counseling for substance abuse and anger management, and served jail time. Then a brain aneurysm on February 18 left him comatose for two weeks, and after doctors said there was “no further hope,” his family removed the 61-year-old from life support on the evening of March 3.