Character Actor Tom Wilkinson Dead at 75
You don’t always have to be the star in movies to become a favorite, something that Tom Wilkinson has proven over the years.
The man who made a name for himself as a supporting character actor in dozens of films has, sadly, passed away.
Wilkinson was 75 years old.
Sudden Death
There are still few details being revealed about his death, with his family only saying that his death was “sudden” and took place at the home.
Wilkinson started his acting career in 1975 with a role in the TV series “2nd House," and was well known for the many roles he played on British TV.
For the most part, he paid his bills by playing TV roles, and there were a lot of them, up until he played Gerald in “The Full Monty.” That established Wilkinson as a character actor in movies, and it was a role he would continue to play for the remainder of his career.
After “The Full Monty” came out in 1997, the movie roles started to stack up, including playing Carmine Falcone in both the “Batman Begins” movie and video game.
One of the more prominent roles he had in movies was as Father Moore in “The Exorcism of Emily Rose,” an absolutely fantastic horror movie based on the real-life experience of Anneliese Michel.
He also starred in “Michael Clayton,” “Valkyrie,” and “The Green Hornet.”
Wilkinson recently revived the role of Gerald in the TV miniseries reboot of “The Full Monty.”
During his career, he was nominated for two Academy Awards. In 2002, he was up for Best Actor in a Leading Role for “In the Bedroom,” and in 2008, he was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for “Michael Clayton.”
While he did not win either of those nominations, he won just about every other award in entertainment for those two roles, including the New York Film Critics Circle Award (“In the Bedroom”) and the Critics Choice Award (“Michael Clayton”).
Rest in peace, sir, and thank you for all the memorable performances over the years.
