Hollywood tough guy Tom Sizemore, who won acclaim for “Saving Private Ryan” before his career spiraled amid drug abuse and domestic violence allegations, died Friday, his manager said.
He was 61.
Sizemore died in his sleep at St. Joseph’s Hospital Burbank, his manager Charles Lago said in a statement Friday.
Sizemore’s brother, Paul, and Sizemore’s 17-year-old twin sons, Jayden and Jagger, were at his side, Lago said. Paul Sizemore called his older brother “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,” Paul Sizemore said in a statement. “I am devastated he is gone and will miss him always”
Sizemore collapsed at his home in Los Angeles after a brain aneurysm Feb. 18 and doctors were never able to revive him. Earlier this week, doctors informed his family there was no further hope and recommended an end-of-life decision.
The veteran actor is best known for playing Sgt. Mike Horvath in “Saving Private Ryan,” which came out in 1998 and won five Academy Awards. The movie brought Steven Spielberg a best director award.
Sizemore and his on-screen “Ryan” colleagues were nominated for outstanding performance by a cast at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
He also was in “Black Hawk Down,” “Strange Days,” “Heat” and other films.
In recent years, Sizemore’s headlines were more often than not connected to drug abuse and allegations of domestic abuse.
In a 2005 interview with “Dateline” correspondent Keith Morrison, Sizemore said there was a direct correlation between leading a sober life and his once-skyrocketing career.
When asked when his longest stretch of sobriety was, he said: “Doing any drugs at all? From ‘95 to 2001. It’s not a coincidence they’re the most prolific years, and my career was building.”
“My poor judgment, the drug abuse. I take full responsibility for,” Sizemore said.
“I wish I hadn’t done…
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