George Clooney, Michael McKean, Richard Roeper Remember Tom Wilkinson, Who “Made Every Actor Better”

Hilary Lewis
·6 min read
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George Clooney, Michael McKean and Richard Roeper are among the stars remembering acclaimed British actor Tom Wilkinson, who died “suddenly” on Saturday at the age of 75.

Wilkinson, known for his BAFTA-winning role in The Full Monty and Oscar-nominated turns in Michael Clayton and In the Bedroom, died at home, according to a statement from the actor’s family, who were with him when he died as was his wife.

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For his role in Tony Gilroy’s Michael Clayton, the 2007 drama that starred George Clooney and Tilda Swinton, who won the best supporting actress Oscar for her performance, Wilkinson received a best supporting actor nod.

“Tom made every project better, made every actor better,” Clooney said of Wilkinson in a statement. “He was the epitome of elegance, and he will be dearly missed by all of us.”

McKean posted to X (formerly known as Twitter) that Wilkinson was a “great actor,” while Roeper praised the versatile actor’s performances over the course of his career.

“There was never a Tom Wilkinson moment onscreen that didn’t feel authentic,” Roeper wrote on X. “He wasn’t a supporting player; he was an actor who elevated the material, regardless of genre. I’ll never forget his heartbreakingly great work as a father overcome with grief in ‘In the Bedroom.’ RIP.”

Filmmaker Scott Derrickson, who worked with Wilkinson on The Exorcism of Emily Rose, shared an anecdote from when they wrapped the film, calling it his “favorite … memory” of the actor.

“I went to [Wilkinson] to say goodbye,” Derrickson wrote. “As I went in for a hug, he turned sideways and put one arm around my shoulder. I said, ‘Well that’s a British hug if I’ve ever had one…’ He frowned at me, then grabbed my face and kissed me right on the lips for a good five seconds, then declared loudly, ‘Don’t ever insult British affection or sense of romance! We invented the stuff!'”

In addition to the accolades he received for his film roles, Wilkinson won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his role as Benjamin Franklin in HBO’s 2008 John Adams miniseries, starring Paul Giamatti as the titular second president of the United States. At both awards shows, he was also nominated for his role as James Baker in another HBO project, the Jay Roach-directed film Recount, about the contentious weeks after the 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore and the Florida recount.

Read on to see what the stars are saying about Wilkinson on social media.

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