Tom Sizemore

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Tom Sizemore

Born Thomas Edward Sizemore, Jr.
September 29, 1964 (1964-09-29) (age 43)
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Years active 1989-present
Spouse(s) Maeve Quinlan (1 September 1996 - 19 November 1999) (divorced)

Thomas Edward "Tom" Sizemore, Jr. (born September 29, 1964)[1] is a Golden Globe-nominated American film and television actor. He is known for his supporting performances in several Hollywood films.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Sizemore was born in Detroit, Michigan to a mother who was a member of an urban ombudsman staff and a lawyer/psychology professor father, Thomas Edward Sizemore, Sr.[1] He has a younger brother, Paul, who is also an actor and a niece Beverly who is a songwriter and former Pussycat Doll. Sizemore attended Michigan State University for one year, as well as Wayne State University, and earned a Master's Degree in theater from Temple University in 1986. He subsequently moved to New York City to pursue an acting career.

[edit] Career

One of Sizemore's early film roles was in Oliver Stone's Born on the Fourth of July in 1989. He has also appeared in films such as Lock Up (1989), Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991), True Romance (1993), and Natural Born Killers (1994). Sizemore also starred in Strange Days (1995). A succession of well-received supporting parts followed, the most well known being his portrayal of Michael Cheritto in Heat (1995). His first major leading role was as Vincent D'Agosta in 1997's The Relic.

Sizemore also had a recurring role on the television series China Beach (1988 to 1991)as an enlisted man named Vinny who was in love with Dana Delaney's character.

Sizemore continued to play leading and character parts in many films, notably Saving Private Ryan, HBO's Witness Protection, Red Planet, Pearl Harbor, Devil in a Blue Dress, and Black Hawk Down. He also had a voice part as Sonny Forelli in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. He also had a supporting role in Kevin Costner's Wyatt Earp as Bat Masterson. In 2001, he played a cop in action film directed from Albert Pyun with Steven Seagal and Dennis Hopper Ticker (2001)

In 2002, Sizemore starred in the well-reviewed but short-lived television drama series Robbery Homicide Division. It was cancelled mid-way through its first season. He also played an undercover cop in the film Swindle opposite Sherilyn Fenn.

Sizemore also fronts the Hollywood rock band Day 8. Formed in 2002 the band has recorded a 4-song EP so far produced and recorded by former Snot/Soulfly guitarist Mikey Doling. The group includes Rod Castro, Tyrone Tomke and Michael Taylor.

In 2004, he starred in the movie Paparazzi. In 2006, Sizemore starred in The Genius Club, playing a terrorist who taunts seven geniuses into solving the world's problems in one night.

In 2007 the television network VH1 aired a six episode reality TV series called Shooting Sizemore, which depicted the life of the actor as he struggled to regain his career in the midst of a continuing battle with addiction. The series also covered an ongoing legal appeal on his conviction for an assault of former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss.[2]

[edit] Personal life

Sizemore, who had long battled drug addiction, was convicted in 2003 of assault and battery against his girlfriend, the former "Hollywood Madam" Heidi Fleiss.[3] Sizemore was then sentenced to 17 months in jail and four months in drug treatment for repeatedly failing drug tests while on probation on March 25, 2005.[4] On June 3, 2005, Tom filed a writ of habeas corpus to appeal his conviction of domestic violence against Fleiss.

Sizemore accused Fleiss of faking a picture of her bruises submitted as evidence during the April 2003 trial. Fleiss testified the photo was taken by a friend named Tara Dabrizzi who left the next day to visit her ailing mother in another country. Dabrizzi never took the stand and Sizemore's attorneys say they were unable to locate anyone with that name. Fleiss allegedly contradicted herself in a civil trial by saying she didn't know who took the photo, according to the Superior Court petition.

On August 18, 2005, approximately eight hours of celebrity sex tape starring Sizemore were published on the Internet.[5] The material has since become available on DVD.

Sizemore had other infamous, well-publicized run-ins with the law. He was caught using a fake penis sewn into his boxer shorts and filled with a clean urine sample kept warm by a heating pack to manipulate his drug test results.[6] The temperature of the urine sample proved too cool to have come from his body, and he was asked to remove his pants. Sizemore had been caught once before trying to use a similar device, sold over the Internet under the brand name the “Whizzinator”, and had failed drug tests on at least five occasions. Sizemore failed two drug tests in the days following the fake penis incident, showing he had methamphetamines in his system.

On May 8, 2007, while still on probation for a previous drug conviction, Sizemore was again arrested outside the Four Points Sheraton hotel in Bakersfield, California.[7] Police found what appeared to be two bags of methamphetamine and three meth pipes in his 2004 Ford Mustang. Police were called after paroled dealer Jason Salcido challenged a hotel employee to a fight after being refused check-in. Police found a meth pipe on Salcido and found Sizemore waiting in his car outside the hotel. On June 25, he was sentenced to 16 months in prison, a sentence later reduced to 9 months in prison. He was released early on December 10 after being awarded 213 days’ credit for time already spent behind bars and in court-imposed rehabilitation.[8]

[edit] Filmography

Upcoming:

  • Red (2008)
  • American Son (2008)
  • The Last Lullaby (2008)
  • Double Duty (2008)
  • Shadows in Paradise (2008)
  • Super Capers (2008)
  • Corrado (2008)

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Tom Sizemore Biography (1961?-)
  2. ^ VH1 page for Shooting Sizemore
  3. ^ CNN.com - Actor Tom Sizemore convicted of abusing Heidi Fleiss - Aug. 15, 2003
  4. ^ Tom Sizemore is sentenced but remains free | Tom Sizemore | In the News | News + Notes | Entertainment Weekly
  5. ^ SFGate: Daily Dish : Sizemore Desperate for Sex Tape Cash
  6. ^ News Briefs, Tom Sizemore, whizzinator, drug test, urine, penis, Amanda Monti, Geoffrey Jones, testicle, Kim Tran, Alaska, Nancy Alperin, Kendra Keller, Koko, Gorilla Foundation
  7. ^ Arrest outside Bakersfield hotel. MSN (2007-05-08). Retrieved on 2007-05-21.
  8. ^ Sizemore Sentenced in Probation Violation. MSN (2007-06-25). Retrieved on 2007-06-25.

[edit] External links