Sad news landed a couple of days ago, with the unexpected passing of British acting veteran Tom Wilkinson. He was 75. A statement says the actor passed away suddenly at home with his wife and family, but specifics have not been revealed. The news was confirmed by Wilkinson’s publicist Nancy Seltzer, who shared a statement with CNN:
“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.”
Wilkinson trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before making his West End debut portraying Horatio in Hamlet in 1980. That performance earned him a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He returned to the West End playing Dr. Stockmann in the Henrik Ibsen play An Enemy of the People (1988) receiving a Laurence Olivier Award for Actor of the Year in a Revival nomination.
He was a two-time Oscar-nominated actor, with six BAFTA nominations as well. His filmography was a thing of myth and legend.
In the Name of the Father, Sense and Sensibility, The Ghost and the Darkness, Wilde, Rush Hour, The Full Monty, Shakespeare In Love, Ride with the Devil, The Patriot, In the Bedroom, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Green Hornet, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, The Lone Ranger are just a few of his movie credits. He also memorably played the role of Carmine Falcone in Batman Begins.
His television credits were just as extensive, including John Adams, The Gruffalo, and Watership Down.
Wilkinson was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to drama in 2005.
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