Tom Wilkinson: The Full Monty actor dies at 75
He was not on the list.
British actor Tom Wilkinson, known for films like The Full Monty, Shakespeare In Love and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, has died aged 75.
Wilkinson won a Bafta for 1997's The Full Monty, and reprised the role of Gerald when a Disney+ streaming series revisited the characters 26 years on.
He received six Bafta nominations in total as well as two Oscar nominations, for Michael Clayton and In The Bedroom.
He died suddenly at home with his wife and family, they said in a statement.
With more than 130 film and TV credits in total, Wilkinson was as comfortable in period dramas like 1995's Sense and Sensibility and 2013's Belle, as he was playing criminal masterminds in movies like Rush Hour opposite Jackie Chan in 1998, or Guy Ritchie's RocknRolla in 2008.
He also earned an Emmy for playing US political figure Benjamin Franklin in 2008 mini-series John Adams and an Emmy nomination as John F Kennedy's father Joe in The Kennedys. He played President Lyndon B Johnson in 2014's Selma, and appeared in The Grand Budapest Hotel and Girl with a Pearl Earring.
His death on Saturday was confirmed in a statement shared by his agent on behalf of his family.
Wilkinson was, according to the Encyclopaedia of British Film, "a major character star, with a remarkable gift - one among several - for conveying inner pain".
In a tribute on X, formerly Twitter, British actor Phil Davis called him "powerful and delicate and hugely intelligent - one of the very best", while singer and actor Will Young described him as "British acting royalty".
US film maker Scott Derrickson said Wilkinson was "an amazing talent" and recalled a time when the actor gave him a surprise kiss on the lips on the set of The Exorcism of Emily Rose.
Born in Leeds before moving to Canada and then Cornwall in childhood, he found his calling at the age of 18 when he was asked to direct a play.
"For the first time in my life, I started doing something I knew how to do," he said.
"I realised it wasn't necessarily just these southern middle-class types that got to be actors; it could possibly be people like me. And once I knew, I never changed my mind."
He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada) before following the well-worn path to theatre and television work. In 1986, he got his first major screen role in mini-series First Among Equals, based on Jeffrey Archer's best-selling novel.
Playing alongside him was Diana Hardcastle. The couple married in 1988, and also went on to play husband and wife in The Kennedys in 2011, and in 2014 action film Good People. The couple had two daughters, Alice and Molly.
When he portrayed Pecksniff in Martin Chuzzlewit for the BBC in 1994, Wilkinson said: "I looked at it and I thought, I can't get it any better than that. It came out exactly as I meant it to come out. It won a couple of prizes and I thought, I can act, there's no question."
Three years later, he was cast as a former factory foreman who joins fellow unemployed workmates in staging a strip show in The Full Monty.
"I was simultaneously offered the lead in a TV series and a possible part in a low-budget movie," he told The Guardian.
"I remember phoning a friend and he said, 'Take the TV, take the TV'. But I didn't follow his advice, and the TV turned out to be crap."
The low-budget movie, meanwhile, turned out to be the highest-grossing British film up to that point, and took his career to a new level on both sides of the Atlantic.
Wilkinson received high critical acclaim for Todd Field's 2001 US domestic drama In the Bedroom, in which he played a bereaved father. He was nominated for an Oscar for best actor.
He hoped the film would do two things for him, he later said. "One, [prove] I could play the lead role in a movie. Two, I could play an American lead role. And it did both of those things."
The actor earned his second Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in Tony Gilroy's 2007 legal thriller Michael Clayton, starring George Clooney.
Wilkinson's other credits included Batman Begins, The Patriot, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Gathering Storm, Black Knight, Valkyrie, The Lone Ranger and Denial.
He also provided the voice of the fox in the TV adaptation of children's best-seller The Gruffalo.
His long term agent Lou Coulson has described him in interviews as "one of the best".
Off screen, Wilkinson was known for being down-to-earth and keeping a relatively low profile. He said in an interview: "I like to go to Waitrose and not be recognised."
In the 2005 New Year Honours, Wilkinson was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to drama.
Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1976 Smuga cienia Chef Ransome Wajda's
adaptation of The Shadow Line
1984 Parker Tom
1985 Sylvia Keith Henderson
Wetherby Roger
Braithwaite
1990 Paper Mask Dr Thorn
1993 In the Name of
the Father Grant Richardson
1994 Priest Father Matthew Thomas
A Business Affair Bob
Prince of Jutland Hardvendel
1995 Sense and
Sensibility Mr Dashwood
1996 The Ghost and
the Darkness Robert Beaumont
1997 Smilla's Sense
of Snow Prof. Loyen
The Full Monty Gerald
Cooper
Wilde Marquess
of Queensberry
Oscar and Lucinda Hugh
Stratton
1998 The Governess Charles Cavendish
Rush Hour Thomas
Griffin/Juntao
Shakespeare in Love Hugh
Fennyman
1999 Ride with the
Devil Orton Brown
Molokai: The Story of Father Damien Brother Joseph Dutton
2000 Essex Boys John Dyke
The Patriot General
Lord Cornwallis
Chain of Fools Robert
Bollingsworth
2001 In the Bedroom Matt Fowler
Another Life Mr
Carlton
Black Knight Sir
Knolte of Malborough
2002 The Importance
of Being Earnest Dr. Frederick
Chasuble
Before You Go Frank
2003 Girl with a
Pearl Earring Pieter Van Ruijven
Normal Jane Anderson
2004 If Only Taxi driver
Piccadilly Jim Bingley
Crocker
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Howard Mierzwiak
Stage Beauty Betterton
A Good Woman Tuppy
2005 Ripley Under
Ground John Webster
Batman Begins Carmine
Falcone
The Exorcism of Emily Rose Father
Moore
Separate Lies James
Manning
2006 The Night of
the White Pants Max Hagan
The Last Kiss Stephen
2007 Dedication Rudy Holt
Cassandra's Dream Howard
Michael Clayton Arthur
Edens
2008 RocknRolla Lenny Cole
Valkyrie Colonel
General Friedrich Fromm
Recount James
Baker
2009 Duplicity Howard Tully
44 Inch Chest Archie
2010 The Ghost
Writer Paul Emmett
Burke & Hare Dr.
Robert Knox
Jackboots on Whitehall Albert
and Joseph Goebbels Voice
2011 The Green
Hornet James Reid
The Conspirator Reverdy
Johnson
The Debt Stefan
Gold
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol IMF Secretary Uncredited
2012 The Best Exotic
Marigold Hotel Sir Graham
Dashwood
Fury Xavier aka The Samaritan
2013 The Lone Ranger Latham Cole
Belle Lord Mansfield
Felony Detective
Carl Summer
2014 The Grand
Budapest Hotel Author
Good People DI
John Halden
Selma President
Lyndon B. Johnson
2015 Unfinished
Business Timothy McWinters
Bone in the Throat Charlie
Little Boy Fr
Oliver
Jenny's Wedding Eddie
2016 The Choice Dr. Shep
Snowden Ewen
MacAskill
Denial Richard
Rampton
This Beautiful Fantastic Alfie
Stephenson
2018 The Catcher Was
a Spy Paul Scherrer
Burden Tom Griffin
Dead in a Week or Your Money Back Leslie
The Happy Prince Fr
Dunne
The Titan Professor
Martin Collingwood
2021 Dr. Bird's
Advice for Sad Poets Dr. Bird Voice
SAS: Red Notice William Lewis
Television
Year Film Role Notes
1979 Crime and
Punishment Cadet Episode: "Part 1"
1983 Panorama Czuma Episode:
"Two Weeks in Winter: How the Army Took Over Poland"
Spyship Martin
Taylor 6-part BBC television miniseries
1984 Strangers
and Brothers George Passant 2 episodes
Sharma and Beyond Vivian Television film
Squaring the Circle Rulewski
1985 A Pocket Full
of Rye Detective Inspector
Neele
Travelling Man "Granny"
Jackson Episode: "On the
Hook"
Happy Families Jack Episode: "Cassie"
1986 First Among
Equals Raymond Gould 10-episode miniseries
1988 The Woman He
Loved Ernest Aldrich Simpson Television film
The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank Silberbauer
The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Robert
Hathall 3 episodes
1989 First and Last Stephen Television film
1990 Inspector
Morse Music Master Jake
Normington Episode: "The
Infernal Serpent"
TECX Hugo Gillon Episode: "The Wine
Business"
Counterstrike Unknown 2 episodes
1990–1996 Screen
Two David Hanratty / Father McAteer /
Dr. Middleton 4 episodes
1991 Parnell &
the Englishwoman Sir Charles
Russell Episode: "The
Libel"
Lovejoy Ashley
Wilkes Episode: "One Born
Every Minute"
Prime Suspect Peter
Rawlins 2 episodes
1992 Underbelly Paul Manning Miniseries
Resnick: Lonely Hearts Detective
Inspector Charlie Resnick Television
film
1993 Stay Lucky Allon Episode:
"Gilding the Lily"
Resnick: Rough Treatment Detective
Inspector Charlie Resnick Television
film
1994 The Inspector
Alleyn Mysteries Gerald
Lacklander Episode:
"Scales of Justice"
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales Buckingham (voice) Episode:
"King Richard II"
Performance Duke
Vincentio Episode:
"Measure for Measure"
Martin Chuzzlewit Seth
Pecksniff Miniseries
1996 Eskimo Day Hugh Lloyd Television
film
1997 Cold Enough for
Snow Hugh Lloyd
1999 David
Copperfield Narrator (Old David
Copperfield)
2002 The Gathering
Storm Sir Robert Vansittart
An Angel for May Sam
Wheeler
2003 Normal Roy/Ruth Applewood
2008 John Adams Benjamin Franklin Miniseries
Recount James
Baker Television film
A Number Salter
2009 The Gruffalo Fox (voice)
2011 The Kennedys Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. Miniseries
The Gruffalo's Child Fox
(voice) Television film
2017 The Kennedys:
After Camelot Joseph P. Kennedy
Sr. Cameo; The Kennedys Sequel
2018 Watership
Down Threarah (voice) Miniseries
2020 Belgravia Peregrine, Earl of Brockenhurst
2023 The Full Monty Gerald Cooper
Theatre
Year Film Role Notes
1980 Hamlet Horatio Aldwych Theatre, West End
1988 An Enemy of the
People Dr. Stockmann Playhouse Theatre, West End
Video games
Year Film Voice role Notes
2005 Batman Begins Carmine Falcone
2012 Sleeping Dogs Superintendent Thomas Pendrew
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