Tom Wilkinson is well known in both the U.S. and the U.K. as a brilliant and superlative actor. According to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), Wilkinson racked up over 130 film and television credits throughout his career in both leading roles as well as ensemble parts. While many remember Wilkinson for his turns in "The Full Monty" (1997), for which he won a BAFTA Award, "Michael Clayton" (2007), for which he was nominated for an Oscar, and "Batman Begins" (2005), Wilkinson's turns in "The Patriot" (2000), "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" (2011), and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2004) are equally enduring and distinctive. 

As we close out 2023, Wilkinson joins the ranks of those who have taken their final bow and left the stage. Tom Wilkinson has passed away at 75 years of age.

Tom Wilkinson was a brilliant actor. Just casually stealing the scene in some of my favorite movies growing up. He will be missed. 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/VV6RIAOvRc

— CJ Johnson (@cjjohnsonjr) December 30, 2023

Tom Wilkinson, the British actor who appeared in films including “The Full Monty,” “Shakespeare in Love” and “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” died Saturday in the U.K., the BBC reported. He was 75.

“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,” the statement from his family to the BBC read.

Tom Wilkinson was born in 1948 to farmers in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Economic hardship forced his family to move to Canada for a time, but they ultimately returned to England, where Wilkinson pursued his education at the University of Kent at Canterbury with a degree in English and American Literature. Wilkinson went on to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His first major role was "First Among Equals" (1986), where he met his wife, actress Diana Hardcastle. They married in 1988, and went on to act together in other productions in both the U.S. and the U.K. 

Wilkinson was primarily known regionally until "The Full Monty." Wilkinson's humorous and engaging turn as "Gerald," an unemployed steel worker who partners with his fellow unemployed pals in a male striptease dance group. The stakes get higher as they decide to go The Full Monty—strip completely—in order to earn more money. The role launched Wilkinson internationally, and he reprised the role for a Disney Plus "The Full Monty" series that revisited the characters 26 years later. 

Over his more than 50-year career, Wilkinson received six Bafta nominations, two Oscar nominations, and four Emmy nominations. Wilkinson won a BAFTA for "The Full Monty," and an Emmy for his portrayal of American founding father Benjamin Franklin in the HBO miniseries, "John Adams," along with a number of other critical awards and accolades.

(Variety) George Clooney, who starred with Wilkinson in the intense 2007 drama “Michael Clayton,” directed by Tony Gilroy, was quick to praise the actor, calling him “the epitome of elegance” and skilled as a thespian.

“Tom made every project better. Made every actor better,” Clooney told Variety. “He was the epitome of elegance and he will be dearly missed by all of us.”

Wilkinson is survived by Hardcastle, and their two daughters, Alice and Molly.

The actor talked about getting older in this clip from a 2014 interview:

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