On December 30, 2023, British local time, the famous Tom Wilkinson suddenly died at home due to illness at the age of 75.
Tom Wilkinson has been in the film industry for nearly 50 years and has been nominated for two Oscars. His most impressive role is the factory foreman who dared not tell his wife the truth after losing his job in the comedy "Six Pigs". And the Gotham City gangster Falcone in "Batman Begins" directed by Christopher Nolan.
Wilkinson plays the Gotham City gangster in "Batman Begins"
Tom Wilkinson was born in Leeds, England, on February 5, 1948. Both his parents made a living by farming, but little Tom became an adult. He is a top student who graduated from the Department of English and American Literature at the prestigious University of Kent. While in school, he joined the drama club and worked as both an actor and a director. After graduation, it was a natural progression for him to enter the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (Rada) for further studies.
In 1976, the 28-year-old Wilkinson made his debut on the screen. He played a small role as a chef in the maritime thriller "Shadow Line" by the famous Polish director Wajda, but he did not leave a deep impression on people. Like most British actors of his generation, he was developing in film, television and stage. During this time, he was twice nominated for the Laurence Olivier Drama Award.
However, because his appearance is not particularly outstanding, it is usually difficult for Wilkinson to be cast as the male lead.
In Shakespeare's masterpiece "Hamlet", he could not play the Danish prince, but could only play his loyal follower Horatio. In the Irish film "In the Name of the Father", which won the Berlin Golden Bear, he could only play a small supporting role as a prosecutor. In "Sentiment and Sense" directed by Ang Lee, he played Mr. Dashwood, the head of the family who died young.
By 1997, "Six Pigs" became a turning point in Tom Wilkinson's career. In this ensemble work with no obvious protagonist or supporting cast, he left a deep impression on the audience as Gerald, who teaches everyone how to dance after losing his job. For this performance, Wilkinson won the British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. Other candidates who lost to him that year included Mark Addy, who played Dave in "The Big Six" and Rupert Everett in "My Best Friend's Wedding" and more.
Wilkinson (first from the right) in "Six Pigs"
Back then, "Six Pigs" swept the box office as a dark horse and became extremely popular, especially in the UK, where it even overshadowed James. Cameron's "Titanic." It is regarded as one of the best British films of the entire twentieth century. It also launched a series of the same name in the summer of 2023. Wilkinson also regained the role of Gerald after more than 20 years.
In the 1990s, Wilkinson also played the role of the Marquis of Queensberry in the biopic "Wilde", the big creditor Mr. Finneman in "Shakespeare in Love", and the action film "Rush Hour" starring Jackie Chan. characters such as the villain arms dealer and the Marquis Cornwallis in Mel Gibson's "The Patriot", continue their own path to gold medals and green leaves.
In "The Unexpected Edge" released in 2001, the 53-year-old got a rare opportunity to play the leading role. He played the role of an old father who experienced the pain of losing his son. He vividly played the bitter taste of a white-haired man giving a black-haired man, and he also won He was nominated for Best Actor at the 74th Academy Awards, but lost to Denzel Washington in "Training Day".
Wilkinson was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor for "The Edge of Surprise"
It would be 2007 before Wilkinson missed the Oscar again. He played the mentally ill old lawyer Arthur in the suspense thriller "Michael Clayton" and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, but lost to Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men."
Wilkinson was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for "Michael Clayton"
In the 2005 New Year, Tom Wilkinson was awarded the Order of the British Empire in gratitude for his contribution to British film, television and theater culture.In real life, Wilkinson is a quiet person and considers himself a plug-and-play practical actor who can play any role. However, he doesn't like to show off when off the set, and he doesn't want to be a celebrity.
His wife of more than thirty years, Diana Hardcastle, is also a versatile actor. She also played former U.S. President Kennedy with her husband in the 2011 TV miniseries "The Kennedys" 's parents. Perhaps it's because it feels so good for an old couple to clock in to work together and go home together. After that, the two collaborated on film and television works such as "Foreign Hotel", "Guilty Ransom" and "Belgovia". They became the silver couple that everyone envied in the British film industry.
Actually, earlier, when Peter Jackson was filming the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, he also found Wilkinson to be an actor, but because that meant being away from his wife and two daughters for a long time, Wilkinson I would rather give up such a good project.
Since Tom Wilkinson has been publishing works in recent years, his sudden death a few days ago is quite surprising. As for the specific cause of the disease, the family has not disclosed it yet.
