1 week ago
14
Actor, writer, and director Tom Noonan has died at the age of 74. The veteran actor’s diverse filmography included originating the role of Francis Dolarhyde on screen in Michael Mann’s 1986 Manhunter, embodying Frankenstein’s Monster for the cult favorite The Monster Squad, and playing key roles in the movies Heat, RoboCop 2, and Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York.
Noonan began acting relatively late in life, at the age of 27. In addition to his film work, he also had a rich career in television, including playing one of The X-Files’ creepier serial killers in the episode “Paper Hearts,” a recurring role as a detective on the FX legal drama Damages, and Reverend Nathaniel on the AMC Western Hell on Wheels. He also notably performed the voice of every other character in Kaufman’s stop-motion fable Anomalisa, opposite David Thewlis.
Beyond acting, Noonan found success as a writer and director, winning Sundance’s Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and Screenwriting Award for his debut movie Willie & Phil. He also adapted two of his plays into the independent films What Happened Was… and The Wife. In a now-deleted Instagram post, former co-star Karen Sillas wrote that collaborating with him on What Happened Was… “was a turning point for me and my career that still resonates throughout my life and work as an actor… What a privilege and crazy fun it was working with this man and calling him my friend to the end… may his Legacy continue to shine on.”
Monster Squad director Frank Dekker took to Facebook to remember Noonan as “the proverbial gentleman and scholar,” albeit one who didn’t love the heavy makeup involved with playing Frankenstein’s Monster: “He found the make-up ardous and annoying (he was fond of tearing it off after we wrapped, and one night didn’t even bother to take it off; just drove home in his Frankenstein appliance).”
Noonan is survived by a daughter and son.
English (US) · 