Tom Sizemore Dies Of a Brain Aneurysm 

Detroit-born actor Tom Sizemore gained a lot of fame for playing tough guys in military and police movies. The actor passed away recently at 61 years of age from a brain aneurysm.

Sizemore finished his master’s degree in theatre. He soon found his first big break starring in Born On The Fourth Of July, a 1989 film by Oliver Stone. The story follows a young recruit who faces a life-changing accident. Here’s the official plot:

Ron Kovic is a patriotic, young man who joins the Marine Corps with the hopes of serving his country. An accident leaves him paralyzed, changing his views on war and life.

Career

After his role in Born On The Fourth Of July, Sizemore began getting more and more jobs like Devil In A Blue Dress and True Romance. He became the iconic tough guy in big films such as Saving Private Ryan. He was also cast as the detective in Natural Born Killers, a controversial film, to say the least. Interestingly, he was also the voice of the character Sonny Forelli in the game that changed gaming forever: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.  

Sizemore was also a nominee for a Golden Globe at the peak of his career. But with great success comes great addiction. Sizemore became addicted to meth and heroin and was pushed by his Heat co-star Robert De Niro to go into rehab or choose to go to jail instead. In fact, he was even threatened by Steven Spielberg, who said he would fire him at first sight of him using drugs during the filming of Saving Private Ryan. But Sizemore could never quite recover. 

In 2003, Sizemore faced jail time of 6 months for domestic violence. He was charged with beating up his then-girlfriend, Heidi Fleiss. This came after his divorce from Maeve Quinlan, who he was married to prior to allegations of assaulting her, which led to an arrest.

Sizemore died at a hospital in Burbank with his family by his side. Here’s the official statement by his brother Paul Sizemore:

“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.”