British Oscar-nominated actor Tom Wilkinson, best known for his role in The Full Monty, has died aged 75, his family has announced.
The Yorkshire-born star played the character Gerald Arthur Cooper in the 1997 comedy, which tells the story of a group of redundant steelworkers from Sheffield on their journey to set up an all-male striptease act.
Wilkinson received a BAFTA for best supporting actor for his performance.
He featured in the 1998 romcom Shakespeare in Love, and the 2005 Christopher Nolan blockbuster, Batman Begins.
Wilkinson also starred alongside Dame Judi Dench, Dame Penelope Walton, and Bill Nighy, in the star-studded all-British ensemble cast in the 2011 comedy-drama, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
Across an illustrious career spanning nearly 50 years, Wilkinson received two Oscar nominations.
The first was for best actor for his performance in the 2001 drama In the Bedroom.
He was also nominated for best supporting actor for his performance in the 2007 legal thriller Michael Clayton.
Wilkinson also won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for best supporting actor for his performance as Benjamin Franklin in the 2008 HBO series John Adams.
Born the son of farmers in the Yorkshire valley of Wharfedale in 1948, Wilkinson moved with his family to Canada as a young boy, but returned five years later.
He studied English and American literature at the University of Kent, where he developed a keen interest in acting and directing.
Wilkinson got his first break in acting in 1976, going on to make appearances in a number of British television shows – the most notable being the 1986 political drama, First Among Equals.
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But it was his starring role in The Fully Monty for which he gained fame and critical acclaim, playing Gerald Arthur Cooper – a steel factory foreman who attempts to hide his redundancy from his wife.
However, after seeing Cooper’s wife at a dance class, the film’s two main characters, Gaz and Dave, played by Robert Carlisle and Mark Addy, recruit her to help them learn to dance for their Chippendale-style act.
His BAFTA-winning performance in the film was followed by a string of high-profile acting credits, including the mobster Carmine Falcone in the 2005 Hollywood blockbuster, Batman Begins.
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Wilkinson’s career later had a string of credits in high-profile US TV dramas, including John Adams.
He was most recently reunited with his The Full Monty co-stars, Robert Carlyle and Mark Addy, in a Disney+ series of the same name.
In a statement announcing his death, his family said: “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 family asks for privacy at this time.”
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