By Debra Wallace
Los Angeles, CA., (The Hollywood Times) 2/21/2023) — Tom Sizemore, best known for Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, and Natural Born Killers, suffered a brain aneurysm last week (Saturday, Feb. 18), at his home in Los Angeles, was admitted to the hospital and is currently in intensive care and critical condition,
“The producers, cast, and crew of his latest movie, Impuratus, are devastated by this news and send heartfelt prayers to Tom and his family,” said Doylestown film producer Guy Quigley.
“All of us are looking forward to celebrating Tom at The County Theater in Doylestown on Sunday, Feb. 26, for the indie film’s first public screening,” Quigley said.
Sizemore’s manager Charles Lago said in a statement that the actor is currently in critical condition and it’s a day-to-day situation.
For more than 30 years, Sizemore, a well-known character actor has made an indelible mark on the film world.
Most recently, Sizemore headed to Philadelphia and the surrounding area to make Impuratus, a creepy possession film, about a police detective, Clayton Douglas (Tom Sizemore), who is summoned to a remote state mental hospital to witness a mysterious Civil War veteran’s outrageous death-bed confession (Jody Quigley) that forces the officer to accept the supernatural.
Filmed at the actual Pennhurst Asylum, just outside of Philadelphia, where in the dank, dark asylum basement Detective Douglas sees and hears things that will forever change his life and the lives of his loved ones.
Earlier this year, Sizemore said there were many reasons he agreed to come to Philadelphia during a chilly winter to make Impuratus. “I enjoyed the script. It was a terrific leading part,” he explained.
“This movie had a lot of qualities I like when I’m trying to find a new project. It was a period piece which was interesting, and I really liked the people that were involved.”
After viewing an early cut, Sizemore said he was proud of the movie. “I was blown away. The quality was astounding, the acting (including mine of course),” he joked, “but seriously everyone was outstanding and the photography superb. I can’t wait to see the final version with the music all in.”
The movie co-stars Jody Quigley, Airen DeLaMater, Robert Miano, and Lew Temple. It was produced by Guy Quigley of Doylestown’s Thundersmoke Media, along with his Co-Producer Charles Lago.
Impuratus is slated for a March 13, 2023 debut. The teaser for Impuratus has won several dozen film festival awards; including three for Sizemore and director Michael Yurinko, and two acting awards for Jody Quigley.
Sizemore said that looking back at his career, he has fond memories of many of his leading roles. “Natural Born Killers was such a unique production and the actors were so terrific. Oliver Stone was at the top of his game, and Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan was another one, for obvious reasons.”
He also enjoyed many others, including, Heat, Black Hawk Down, Dreamcatcher, A Broken Life, and The Last Lullaby. “I truly love those movies. I was lucky to have been given the opportunity to work with many terrific directors.”
Jody Quigley, who plays the pivotal role of Daniel Glassman, says he enjoyed getting to know Sizemore during the making of Impuratus.
“Tom is a down-to-earth guy. He doesn’t have that Hollywood attitude. He came to set prepared and was happy to throw in his two cents on how to make a scene better,” says Jody Quigley. “So, he brought his acting chops to the table and he delivered. It was a great experience working with him.”
Michael Yurinko, the film’s screenwriter-director, loves Sizemore in Heat and says that his role as Scagnetti in Natural Born Killers, was truly memorable. He also enjoyed Sizemore’s role, early in his career, in Point Break with Keanu Reeves. Of course, he was awesome in Saving Private Ryan.
“I would call Tom one of our finer actors working right now. He really is a very unassuming, very giving person,” Yurinko adds. “Tom has very little ego; he’s just an all-around nice guy.”
The film’s director said the first few days of filming he thought maybe Sizemore needed to “pump up his energy a bit,” but when he watched the footage, he saw the true cinematic magic. Tom had that character nailed. He knew exactly what to do with that character. And it was just quite easy editing that performance together. He’s a smart guy, whose oozing talent and he just played that role perfectly,” says Yurinko.
“As soon as he came in with the wardrobe, the hat, and everything else, it was like, he’s going to come around the corner and it will be perfect.”
