Entertainment

Family of Tom Sizemore ‘now deciding end of life matters’ after actor’s aneurysm

Theys said a further statement would be issued on Wednesday.
Theys said a further statement would be issued on Wednesday.

The family of American actor Tom Sizemore have said they are “now deciding end of life matters” after he suffered a brain aneurysm.

The 61-year-old has been in a coma in intensive care since collapsing on February 18 at his home in Los Angeles.

A statement from his manager Charles Lago to the AP news agency said: “Today, doctors informed his family that there is no further hope and have recommended end of life decision.”

He added that the aneurysm had been the result of a stroke and that a further statement would be issued on Wednesday.

Sizemore’s first major appearance was in the 1989 Oliver Stone film Born On The Fourth Of July.

Tom Sizemore, Steven Spielberg and Ed Burns
Tom Sizemore with Steven Spielberg and Edward Burns at the UK premiere of Saving Private Ryan in 1998 (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

That performance opened doors in Hollywood and he carved out a niche playing the quintessential hardman, from gangsters to bodyguards and soldiers.

He secured supporting roles in blockbusters such as Point Break, True Romance and Natural Born Killers.

His portrayal of professional thief Michael Cheritto in the heist film 1995 Heat, written and directed by Michael Mann and starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, won him plaudits.

He also made a memorable contribution to the popular video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City voicing mob boss Sonny Forelli.

Sizemore had a history of drug addiction. He wrote in his autobiography about his heavy use of heroin and crystal meth, and was once checked into rehab by De Niro.

He was married to actress Maeve Quinlan, known for her role in US soap opera The Bold and The Beautiful, between 1996 and 1999.



In 2003, he was convicted of domestic violence charges against former girlfriend Heidi Fleiss, and was ordered to complete a drug rehabilitation programme before beginning a jail term.

In 2018, an actress filed a lawsuit against Sizemore, claiming he allegedly groped her as an 11-year-old during production on the 2005 film Born Killers.

Sizemore strongly denied the allegation and the suit was dismissed.