The Full Monty actor Tom Wilkinson dies aged 75 as heartbroken family say 'suddenly'
He went down in history for his role as former steel mill foreman Gerald Cooper in the cult classic film
by Katy Hallam, https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/authors/katy-hallam/ · Birmingham LiveThe Full Monty actor Tom Wilkinson has died aged 75. His family announced the tragic news in a statement shared by his agent.
Tom passed away suddenly today (December 30) surrounded by his family. The statement read: "It is with great sadness that the family of Tom Wilkinson announce that he died suddenly at home on December 30.
"His wife and family were with him. The family asks for privacy at this time." Tom received two Oscar nominations over his long career.
He was best known for his role as former steel mill foreman Gerald Cooper in cult classic The Full Monty, for which he won a Bafta for best supporting actor in 1998. He had most recently reunited with his The Full Monty co-stars, Robert Carlyle and Mark Addy, for a Disney+ series of the same name.
But he had many other acting credits. Tom was nominated for Academy Awards for his leading role for In The Bedroom in 2001. He won a Golden Globe and Emmy for his role as American political figure Benjamin Franklin in HBO series John Adams.
He was also known for his roles in a BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens novel Martin Chuzzlewit, the 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense And Sensibility, the 2014 Wes Anderson comedy drama The Grand Budapest Hotel and 2011 ensemble comedy The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
Fans have paid tributes to the actor on X, formerly Twitter. One wrote: "Rest in peace, Tom Wilkinson. Once he broke through in Hollywood, late in life, he proved to be masterfully versatile. But for me, his vulnerable, hilarious portrait of a middle-aged, middle class Northerner at the end of his tether in The Full Monty always shone the brightest."
Another said: "Tom Wilkinson’s performance in Michael Clayton made such an indelible impact on me. What a towering, committed actor capable of being tender and terrifying on a dime. RIP to a titan of the acting world." A third fan added: "Oh my god. Heartbreaking news. We've lost a true legend. Never seen a performance where Tom Wilkinson didn't give his 110%. His performance in Todd Field’s In the Bedroom is one of the best of the century. Rest in peace, a genuine great of our time."