Tom Wilkinson — one of the nicest and most talented actors ever — has died suddenly at age 75. He was nominated for Oscars twice, won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor, as well as the Independent Spirit Award, “In the Bedroom.” I knew him pretty well for a long time, and will miss him very much. He brought a sense of nobility and grace to every role he played.
His Oscar nominations were for “In the Bedroom” and “Michael Clayton.” Wilkinson made a splash in the US in “Shakespeare in Love” in 1997, his career took, and he never looked back. Earlier that same year, he was also a star of “The Full Monty,” a huge box office hit. His other films included “Sense and Sensibility” and “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.”
At one point, Tom was working so much that I congratulated him for some film I said he’d been in. “I wasn’t in that,” he replied, laughing. I said, “You’ve been in so many lately, I thought I saw you.” That might have been around the time he won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for playing Benjamin Franklin in the “John Adams” miniseries on HBO.
I’ll never forget the year Tom was nominated for “In the Bedroom.” I was standing in front of the Four Seasons Hotel on Doheny waiting for my car when he and his wife pulled up in a taxi to check in. The place was buzzing, there were no porters around, and the cab just sort of dumped them before arriving at the front door. I noticed them, and wound up getting a cart and helping them into the hotel. We always used to laugh about it later.
What a shame he’s gone. Condolences to his family. He will be sorely missed.
