Tom Wilkinson, “The Full Monty ”and “Michael Clayton ”actor, dies at 75

Wilkinson received two Oscar nominations for his performances in "Michael Clayton" and "In the Bedroom."

Tom Wilkinson, the Oscar-nominated actor best known for his performances in The Full Monty, Shakespeare in Love, and Michael Clayton, has died. He was 75.

The actor’s death was confirmed in a statement by his family which was obtained by EW. "It is with great sadness that the family of Tom Wilkinson announce that he died suddenly at home on December 30. His wife and family were with him," it read. "The family asks for privacy at this time."

Born in Wharfedale, Yorkshire in 1948, Wilkinson developed an interest in acting and directing while a member of the drama society at the University of Kent. He completed his degree before enrolling in London’s prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, which he graduated from in 1973.

Wilkinson spent the following two decades flexing his talents on a wide variety of British television programs including Spyship, Miss Marple: A Pocketful of Rye, and as Raymond Gould in the 1986 political drama First Among Equals. His other credits include Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Counterstrike, Prime Suspect, and a critically acclaimed role as Seth Pecksniff in the 1994 television adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Martin Chuzzlewit.

The following year, Wilkinson played Mr. Dashwood in the Ang Lee-directed adaptation of Sense and Sensibility alongside Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Imelda Staunton and Hugh Laurie. The film was one of many period dramas that the actor would star in throughout his career, including Oscar and Lucinda, The Governess, Shakespeare in Love, The Patriot, and more.

However, Wilkinson's big break would not come until after he starred as foreman Gerald Cooper in the 1997 comedy The Full Monty, which saw him earn a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He revisited the role 26 years later in an FX television series released earlier this year.

Wilkinson went on to earn his first Oscar nomination for his performance as a father coping with the sudden loss of his son in Todd Field’s 2001 drama, In the Bedroom. He earned his second nod six years later for playing attorney Arthur Evans in the legal thriller Michael Clayton alongside George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, and Sydney Pollack.

In 2009, Wilkinson won a Golden Globe and Emmy for his performance as Benjamin Franklin in the Tom Hooper-directed miniseries, John Adams. His other credits include Girl with a Pearl Earring, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Batman Begins, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Dedication, RocknRolla, Valkyrie, The Green Hornet, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Selma, Snowden, Denial, and The Catcher Was a Spy.

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