Tom Wilkinson dead; legendary character actor was 75

Last Updated on January 12, 2024

We have some very sad news to close out 2023, folks. Tom Wilkinson, one of the finest and most beloved character actors of this (or any other) generation, has died suddenly at 75. Deadline was the first to report the news. The twice Oscar-nominated co-star of Michael Clayton, Batman Begins, In the Bedroom, and many more films last appeared in Disney Plus’s sequel series to his breakout role in The Full Monty.

Between 1998 and 2018, Wilkinson was one of his generation’s most prolific character actors, with his output putting him up there with Brian Cox and Brendan Gleeson. He made over 65 movies and TV series in that twenty-year period, starring in everything from high-profile arthouse fare like Todd Field’s In the Bedroom to his role as Carmine Falcone in Batman Begins. He often played villains, such as in The Lone Ranger, but had the range to take on pretty much any part. He could be a romantic lead, such as in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel; he could do comedy, like in the Vince Vaughn flick Unfinished Business; he could play real guys like Joseph P. Kennedy in the Kennedys mini-series, or Lyndon B. Johnson (in Ava DuVernay’s Selma), or even play British gangsters, like in Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla, Woody Allen’s Cassandra’s Dream or the underrated 44 Inch Chest. He was even the villain in a Jackie Chan movie (Rush Hour). Nothing was beyond his range. We just recently paid tribute to one of his best-loved movies, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Check out the video embedded at the end of the article.

But, if you ask me, Wilkinson’s greatest role ever was in Tony Gilroy’s Michael Clayton. He was nominated for an Oscar for playing George Clooney’s conscience-striken, manic-depressive lawyer boss, who finds himself the victim of a chillingly executed corporate hit. Simply put, the guy could seemingly play any role and was never accused of phoning it in, even if he often went straight from one job to another. He was an old pro in the vein of Gene Hackman, Michael Caine, and Anthony Hopkins, and he will surely be missed.

What’s your favorite Tom Wilkinson role? Let us know in the comments.