Sad news Monday evening—actor Tom Sizemore’s representative reported that his doctors have “informed his family that there is no further hope and have recommended end-of-life decision” after he suffered a brain aneurysm last week in Los Angeles.
Sizemore, who admittedly struggled with addiction throughout his career, was a ubiquitous presence in movies during the 1990s and 2000s and was a prominent star in director Steven Spielberg’s war epic, Saving Private Ryan. He acted alongside many of Hollywood’s heavyweights:
The cast of “Heat”, sans #AlPacino, taking a break during filming around LA. 1995. #DannyTrejo, #RobertDeNiro, #ValKilmer, Edward Bunker, Jon Voight & #TomSizemore. pic.twitter.com/VAqT4vKhxh
— Gilberto Vera (@GilbertoVera) February 18, 2023
He collapsed in his home Saturday, Feb. 18, and has remained in a coma since. “The family is now deciding end-of-life matters,” his rep Charles Lago confirmed, adding:
We are asking for privacy for his family during this difficult time, and they wish to thank everyone for the hundreds of messages of support and prayers that have been received.
This has been a difficult time for them.
Tom Sizemore in Saving Private Ryan pic.twitter.com/TUzUsaXENn
— TodayInSports (@TodayInSportsCo) February 28, 2023
Sizemore, who also starred in “Black Hawk Down” and has an amazing 263 credits on IMDB, talked about his struggles with Fox Digital in 2021:
“I’ve been trying to get sober since 1991 … It became really big news much later than that, but I was trying to stop,” he said. “I’ve had a problem for a long time. I had periods, long periods, of sobriety and I would end up relapsing.”
He penned a 2013 chronicle detailing his journey titled, “By Some Miracle I Made It Out of There: A Memoir.” According to the book’s description, the account details a haunting descent into vice:
For years, Sizemore’s days were filled with overdoses, suicide attempts, and homelessness. By Some Miracle I Made It Out of There is a harrowing journey into the heart of his addiction, told in riveting and often shocking detail. By turns gritty and heartbreaking, it is also one man’s look at a particular moment in entertainment history—a window into the drug-fueled spotlight that sent Robert Downey, Jr., to jail and killed River Phoenix, Heath Ledger, Chris Farley, and many others far before their time.
Sizemore told the Associated Press during his book tour:
First I drank. People could tell if you were drunk, so then I was like, ‘Hey, look, let me find a drug where I feel comfortable in my own skin.
But I did. I found a drug and it was called cocaine. I did it for a while. Then I found an even better drug and it was called heroin.
He eventually turned to an even worse drug, crystal meth, and as his life spiraled out of control he was convicted of assault and battery against former famed Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss.
For a while it looked like Sizemore might succeed in overcoming his demons, and it’s unclear if his drug use is related to the aneurysm.
It would be easy to pile on at this moment and describe each and every one of his misdeeds, but right now, as he lies on his deathbed, there is a grieving family, and we can criticize his behavior another day.
Let’s just say that Sizemore was a tremendous talent, and his story contains much tragedy, and may he rest in peace.
For a good ten or twelve years, Tom Sizemore was kind of the ultimate “oh, *this* guy is in this? fuck yeah this movie is gonna rule” character actor. pic.twitter.com/Hvaz8YCWBR
— Tony Tost (@tonytost) February 28, 2023
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