Actor Tom Noonan, a cult favorite for his many sci-fi and horror roles, has sadly passed away at the age of 74. The news comes to us via The Hollywood Reporter. Noonan was most famous for his roles in Michael Mann’s Manhunter, where he played serial killer Francis Dollarhyde. This was the first movie to feature Hannibal Lecter, years before The Silence of the Lambs. He also won the hearts of horror-loving kids in 1987’s The Monster Squad, where he played Frankenstein’s Monster. Other notable roles included Heat, Robocop 2, Last Action Hero, and House of the Devil. On TV, he appeared on The X-Files, 12 Monkeys, and The Leftovers.
The Monster Squad director, Fred Dekker, broke the news of Noonan’s passing on Facebook, where he shared his memories of his time working with him. Here’s what he had to say:
Tom’s indelible performance as Frankenstein in The Monster Squad is a highlight of my modest filmography, doubtless aided by the masterful make-up designed by Stan Winston, sculpted by Tom Woodruff Jr., and applied by Zoltan Elek. Having been knocked out by his performance as Francis Dollarhyde in Michael Mann‘s Manhunter, I desperately wanted Tom to read the script and consider the part, but I knew that nabbing him was probably a long shot. Nonetheless, he agreed to meet me at his Hollywood apartment to discuss the role. In the end, he found the make-up arduous 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). But all in all, he was the proverbial gentleman and scholar, and the world has lost a great talent… R.I.P. Tom. Thanks for the great work.
Because of his imposing 6-foot-5 height, Noonan often played unusual roles. Nobody was looking at him for the leading man parts given to Kevin Costner or Kurt Russell. Nevertheless, he did branch out into other types of parts over his long career. In the ’90s, he wrote several stage plays, and two of his plays, The Wife and What Happened Was… became films he directed himself. His last on-screen credit was in 2017’s Wonderstruck. With over forty movie roles to his name, you owe it to yourself to dive into his incredible and often underappreciated body of work. Tom Noonan is survived by a daughter, Wanda, and a son.