Tom Noonan, 'manhunter' Character Actor Who Also Wrote And Directed Films, Dies At 74

Tom Noonan, a characteristic character and filmmaker known for playing villains successful “Manhunter” and “The Last Action Hero,” died connected Valentine’s Day. He was 74.

The decease was confirmed by Fred Dekker, head of “The Monster Squad,” who wrote connected Facebook, “Tom’s indelible capacity arsenic Frankenstein ... is simply a item of my humble filmography.”

Karen Sillas, Noonan’s “What Happened Was ...” co-star who besides confirmed nan decease connected societal media, did not reply instantly Wednesday to The Times’ petition for comment.

Noonan had a astir 40-year profession connected TV and successful film, making his people pinch a domiciled successful “Manhunter,” nan 1986 movie based connected a Thomas Harris novel.

In “Manhunter,” which starred William Peterson of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” arsenic an FBI supplier and “Succession” prima Brian Cox arsenic Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Noonan played Francis Dolarhyde, nan serial slayer besides known arsenic nan Tooth Fairy. It was a capacity that “knocked out” Dekker, who past pursued Noonan for “Monster Squad.”

Playing a slayer wasn’t different for Noonan, who stood 6-foot-5 aliases 6-foot-6, depending connected who you trust. On a 2013 section of TV’s “The Blacklist,” he played “the Stewmaker,” a man pinch a sensation for dissolving quality bodies successful acid. In nan 1993 drama “The Last Action Hero” he was nan Ripper, a fictional nemesis who comes to life successful nan high-concept film-within-a-film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger arsenic action prima Jack Slater.

Born successful Greenwich, Conn., connected April 12, 1951, Noonan was raised by his math-teacher mother Rita and a ample extended family aft nan decease of his father, John Ford Noonan Sr. He went to schoolhouse astatine Yale Drama and later founded New York’s Paradise Factory theatre pinch Jack Kruger astatine nan tract of nan Paradise Ice Cream Factory, wherever nan crystal pick cone was invented. The 2 built a theatre and rehearsal rooms wherever nan condemned building stood.

Paradise Factory now bills itself arsenic “bringing nan rigor of theatrical subject to nan process of cinematic art, and bringing nan intimacy and immediacy of nan cinema into theatrical capacity art.”

“I wish I had much occurrence arsenic an actor,” the New York-based character told The Times pinch a dash of melancholy successful 2015. “I deliberation group telephone maine because they’re transmission surfing precocious astatine nighttime and they spot maine successful a movie connected cable.”

In that story, astir nan character and his friend and collaborator Charlie Kaufman and Kaufman’s stop-motion animation movie “Anomalisa,” a Times unit writer described Noonan: “Like Kaufman, he has a acheronian worldview, an idiosyncratic sensibility, blackly comic thoughts and, astatine times, an endearing crankiness.”

In “Anomalisa,” Noonan was credited pinch playing “Everyone Else” — and that wasn’t an exaggeration. Jennifer Jason Leigh and David Thewlis played nan leads; Noonan voiced much than 40 different roles successful nan film.

“Even I can’t show if it’s maine sometimes,” he told The Times successful 2015 astir nan extended studio-recording process. “I mean, I admit nan voice, but I’m not judge wherever it came from.”

“My first TV question and reply was pinch Tom Noonan for a section NYC show called MIDDAY(?),” character Jerry O’Connell wrote early Wednesday connected Instagram, including a blurry image of them connected nan show’s set. “I was truthful nervous. Tom was truthful kind. I saw him successful each (NYC) play he was successful after. He bought my relative and I tickets to Eddie Murphy’s RAW (we were excessively young to purchase). Btw, connected this episode, I was talking astir a movie astir to travel retired (Stand By Me) and Mr. Noonan was talking astir his movie (Manhunter). Rest In Peace LEGEND.”

Noonan appeared successful nan celebrated 1980 flop “Heaven’s Gate” and formed a creepy gothic protector decades later successful “The House of nan Devil” (2009). He was a ghoulish big of a late-night tv scary programme successful nan 2005 vampire movie “The Roost,” past played a wagon-train missionary successful nan 2007 occidental “Seraphim Falls.”

“Robocop 2” (1990) had Noonan arsenic Cain, a messianic maniac pinch a chemoreceptor ring who leads a pack of violent dope dealers.

In 18 episodes of nan bid “Hell connected Wheels,” which ran for 5 seasons connected AMC, he was nan Rev. Nathaniel Cole. Other TV credits included episodes of Fox’s “The X-Files,” HBO’s “The Leftovers,” CBS’ “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and nan Louis C.K. series “Louie” (FX) and “Horace and Pete.”

Noonan’s half-dozen directing credits see nan 1994 movie “What Happened Was ...,” which was produced arsenic a play, past became a movie and past won nan Sundance Grand Jury Prize for melodramatic feature. In summation to penning and directing nan movie, Noonan played nan lead antheral domiciled other Sillas. Noonan besides won Sundance’s Waldo Salt screenwriting grant for nan script.

The adjacent year, his characteristic “The Wife” — a acheronian drama erstwhile again written, directed by and starring Noonan — was a nominee for nan aforesaid Sundance Grand Jury Prize. Described by nan New York Times arsenic a “bleakly funny evisceration of modern marriage,” nan movie co-starred Karen Young, who was Noonan’s woman from 1992 to 1999.

And Noonan’s 2015 movie “The Shape of Something Squashed” was calved retired of disorder and immoderate despair aft his supplier called him pinch what initially looked for illustration a portion successful 1 of nan “Mockingjay” installments of “The Hunger Games” franchise. When he sewage nan script, though, he saw only 1 domiciled for personification his age, and that occupation — playing President Snow — already belonged to Donald Sutherland.

Turns retired location ne'er had been a portion successful nan offing. Sutherland was conscionable busy, and Jennifer Lawrence and nan remainder of nan “Hunger Games” formed needed personification to rehearse pinch them for a week.

After recovering from a little affectional tailspin, Noonan knocked retired nan book for “The Shape of Something Squashed” — past directed and acted successful nan film.

He was preceded successful decease by his older brother, “A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking” playwright John Ford Noonan Jr., who died successful 2018 astatine property 77.

Former Times unit writer Steve Zeitchik contributed to this report.