Tom Sizemore, the Saving Private Ryan actor whose bright 1990s star burned out under the weight of his own domestic violence and drug convictions, died Friday at age 61.
The actor had suffered a brain aneurysm on February 19 at his home in Los Angeles.
He died in his sleep Saturday at a hospital in Burbank, California, his manager Charles Lago said.
Sizemore became a star with acclaimed appearances in Natural Born Killers and the cult-classic crime thriller Heat.
But serious substance dependency, abuse allegations and multiple run-ins with the law devastated his career, left him homeless and sent him to jail.
Despite the raft of legal trouble, Sizemore had scores of steady film and television credits - though his career never regained its onetime momentum.
Aside from Black Hawk Down and Pearl Harbor, most of his 21st century roles came in low-budget, little-seen productions where he continued to play the gruff, tough guys he became famous for portraying.
“I was a guy who’d come from very little and risen to the top. I’d had the multimillion-dollar house, the Porsche, the restaurant I partially owned with Robert De Niro,” the Detroit-born Sizemore wrote in his 2013 memoir, By Some Miracle I Made It Out of There, “And now I had absolutely nothing.”
Sizemore was convicted of abusing ex-girlfriend Heidi Fleiss in 2003 - the same year he pleaded no contest and avoided trial in a separate abuse case - and sentenced to jail. The former Hollywood madam testified that he had punched her in the jaw at a Beverly Hills hotel, and beaten her in New York to the point where they couldn’t attend the Black Hawk Down premiere.
The sentencing judge said drug abuse was likely a catalyst but that testimony had revealed a man who had deep problems dealing with women.
Fleiss called Sizemore “a zero” in a conversation with The Associated Press after his conviction.
Sizemore apologized in a letter, saying he was “chastened” and that “personal demons” had taken over his life, though he later denied abusing her and accused her of faking a picture showing her bruises.
He appeared on the reality TV show Celebrity Rehab and its spinoff Sober House, telling the AP that he did the shows to receive help, but also partly to pay off accumulated debts that ran into the millions.
Many of Sizemore's later-career films had a sci-fi, horror or action bent: In 2022 alone, he starred in movies with such titles as Impuratus, Night of the Tommyknockers and Vampfather.
But Sizemore still nabbed a few meaty roles - including in the “Twin Peaks” revival - and guest spots on popular shows like Entourage and Hawaii Five-O.
In addition to his film and TV credits, he was part of the voice cast for 2002's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City video game. He also taught classes at the LA West Acting Studio, according to recent advertisements.
He is survived by his 17-year-old twin sons, Jayden and Jagger, and his brother Paul, all of whom were by his side when he died.
“I’ve led an interesting life, but I can’t tell you what I’d give to be the guy you didn’t know anything about,” Sizemore wrote in his memoir.
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