British actor Tom Wilkinson, known for ‘The Full Monty’ and ‘Michael Clayton,’ dies at 75

By SYLVIA HUI
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Tom Wilkinson, the Oscar-nominated British actor known for his roles in “The Full Monty,” “Michael Clayton” and “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” has died, his family said. He was 75.

A statement shared by his agent on behalf of the family said Wilkinson died suddenly at home on Saturday. It didn’t provide further details.

Wilkinson was nominated for a best actor Academy Award for his work in 2001’s family drama “In The Bedroom” and in the best supporting actor category for his role in “Michael Clayton,” a 2007 legal thriller that starred George Clooney.

He is remembered by many in Britain and beyond for playing former steel mill foreman Gerald Cooper in the 1997 comedy “The Full Monty,” about a group of unemployed steel workers who formed an unlikely male stripping act.

Wilkinson was born in Yorkshire in northern England in 1948 and spent part of his childhood in Canada. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in the 1970s.

He starred in dozens of other TV dramas and movies, from “Rush Hour” and “Batman Begins” to “Shakespeare in Love,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Valkyrie.”

He most recently reunited with his “Full Monty” co-stars, Robert Carlyle and Mark Addy in a Disney+ series of the same name.

“He’ll be sorely missed by everyone who had the pleasure of working with him,” Carlyle said in a statement. “Such a huge performer, a real titan of an actor, one of the greats of not only his, but of any generation.”

Wilkinson was recognized for his services to drama in 2005 when he was appointed a member of the Order of the British Empire.

He also won a 2009 Golden Globe and 2008 Emmy for his role as Benjamin Franklin in the HBO series “John Adams.”

Wilkinson married actress Diana Hardcastle in 1988. The couple had two daughters.