Tom Sizemore, Star of “Black Hawk Down,” Dies at 61 After Brain Aneurysm

Tom Sizemore, a prominent actor known for his roles in blockbuster movies such as “Saving Private Ryan,” “Black Hawk Down,” and various cult classics, has passed away. He died in a hospital in the Los Angeles area on Friday after his family made the difficult decision to remove him from life support. The actor had been receiving treatment for a brain aneurysm he suffered at his home on February 18, which caused him to lose consciousness and collapse.

According to Tom’s representative, Charles Lago, the actor passed away peacefully in his sleep at St. Joseph’s Hospital Burbank. Tom’s brother Paul and his twin boys Jayden and Jagger (17) were by his side during his final moments.

Tom was rushed to the emergency room around 2 AM and was listed in critical condition while doctors worked on him in the ICU. Unfortunately, he never regained consciousness. His manager, Charles Lago, informed us that his condition remained critical, and he was in a coma with no signs of improvement in the ICU a week after the incident. The medical staff at his location recommended an end-of-life plan to the family.

Lago also revealed that Tom’s aneurysm resulted from a stroke that he suffered, causing him to collapse.

Although Tom’s later years were marred with controversy, he was a sure thing in Hollywood, particularly in the 1990s when he landed career-changing roles, including the one in Spielberg’s World War II epic, “Saving Private Ryan.” In the movie, he played Sergeant Horvath opposite Tom Hanks and other big actors as they sought out Matt Damon’s character to relieve him of duty. Tom’s outstanding performance in the film earned him a couple of award nominations.

Prior to “Saving Private Ryan,” Tom had already amassed several notable roles in movies such as “Where Sleeping Dogs Lie,” “Passenger 57,” “True Romance,” “Natural Born Killers,” “Devil in a Blue Dress,” “Heat,” “Enemy of the State,” among others. He had carved out a nice little archetype for himself, often playing a tough guy and/or a hardened criminal.

While the 2000s and the decades that followed weren’t as memorable for Tom, he continued to act in various films, including “Pearl Harbor,” “Black Hawk,” “Dreamcatcher,” “Red Planet,” and “Paparazzi.” However, he mostly appeared in B-movie-level flicks/shows. In total, he had 230 acting credits to his name, but the appeal he held 30 years ago had mostly faded. Throughout his career, Tom battled addiction, and he had been arrested on several occasions, a couple of times for domestic violence, and frequently for substance abuse-related offenses. He had also been in and out of rehab for his addictions.

Tom is survived by his two sons. He was 61 years old. Rest in peace.