Tom Sizemore’s most notable roles: ‘Saving Private Ryan’, ‘Black Hawk Down’ and more

Tom Sizemore is perhaps best known for his role as Sergeant Horvath in the 1998 Oscar-winning film ‘Saving Private Ryan’, but Sizemore has a number of notable roles under his belt.

Sizemore has worked with some of Hollywood’s best directors, from Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Michael Mann, and Oliver Stone, to Ridley Scott and more. His roles have earned him both a Screen Actors Guild Award and Golden Globe Award nomination.

Here’s a look at Sizemore’s best roles throughout his 30-year career.

‘Saving Private Ryan’, 1998

Directed by Steven Spielberg, Sizemore’s work in ‘Saving Private Ryan’ as Sergeant Horvath earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, along with his fellow cast members, for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in 1999. It also saw Sizemore play the opposite of his usual character choices, as Sergeant Horvath was an honorable man.

‘Heat’, 1995

In this Michael Mann directed film, Sizemore played Michael Cheritto, one of the central antagonists. Sizemore portrays a veteran bank robber, played with as much macho bravado as can be expected in such a role.

‘Black Hawk Down’, 2001

Playing Lieutenant Colonel Danny McKnight, Sizemore once again takes up a more humanistic role, straying from his typecast. Playing a real-life character meant Sizemore had to do quite a bit of research for the role. In addition to reading the book that the movie is based on, he also called the real-life Danny McKnight to understand the experience of being in a war situation.

When speaking with the rangers who served under McKnight, Sizemore learned the most about the Lieutenant colonel, who acknowledged that McKnight would always be there to lead and fight with his men.

‘Natural Born Killers’, 1994

In the chaotic, crime-laden world of ‘Natural Born Killers’, directed by Oliver Stone, Sizemore is detective Jack Scagnetti, a deranged man who is obsessed with capturing the main characters Mickey and Mallory Knox, played by Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis. The film finds Sizemore playing the psychopathic detective who eagerly breaks the law and regularly takes part in acts of depravity.

Sizemore was chosen for the role in an unusual way. He wrote a monologue for the character, and read it to Stone at a bar he knew the director would be at. Stone was so impressed, he hired Sizemore for the role the following day.