British actor Tom Wilkinson died on Saturday, December 30, 2023, at the age of 75. According to his agent, he died unexpectedly at home surrounded by his family. Now his colleague Robert Carlyle, who starred with him in 1997’s “The Full Monty,” is paying tribute to him.
Carlyle on Wilkinson: “He was a wonderful man”
Tom Wilkinson, who was also nominated for Oscars for “In the Bedroom” (2001) and “Michael Clayton” (2007), won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “The Full Monty.” In the socially critical comedy he played alongside Robert Carlyle, who now comments on the death of his former screen partner and calls him a “brilliant actor”. Via X Carlyle says:
“So sad to hear of Tom’s death. He was a wonderful man and will be sorely missed by all who had the pleasure of working with him. A brilliant actor, truly one of the greatest not only of his generation but of every generation. RIP Tom Wilkinson.”
“Tom made every project better”
Other fellow actors have already remembered Wilkinson via social media and are mourning his death. “Michael Clayton” scene partner George Clooney calls the late actor the “epitome of elegance”. “Tom made every project better. He made every actor better. We will all miss him very much,” Clooney continued.
Eddie Izzard (who worked with Wilkinson in 2008’s Thriller Valkyrie) said on social media: “So sad to hear that the wonderful Tom Wilkinson has passed away. He brought such a strong presence to every role he played.”
“The Full Monty” as a new edition
The Full Monty was re-released for Disney+ in 2023 – and the film’s original cast returned for the series. The story of the whole thing: A group of unemployed men want to put on a striptease show in Sheffield, England, in order to finally earn money. The new eight-part series revisits the group 25 years later and brings in Carlyle (Gaz) and Wilkinson (Gerald), as well as Mark Addy (Dave), Lesley Sharp (Jean), Hugo Speer (Guy), Paul Barber (Horse), Steve Huison (Lomper) and Wim Snape (Nathan) return.
The trailer for the series: