Actor Tom Sizemore, known for Heat, Saving Private Ryan, dead at 61

On Friday, 61-year-old Tom Sizemore, a scene-stealing character actor known for his roles in films such as Heat, Saving Private Ryan, and Black Hawk Down, died after being hospitalized from a brain aneurysm on February 19.

Rolling Stone reports that his manager, Charles Lago, said "It is with great sadness and sorrow I have to announce that actor Thomas Edward Sizemore aged 61 passed away peacefully in his sleep today at St Joseph's Hospital Burbank."

Lago went on to say "His Brother Paul and twin boys Jayden and Jagger were at his side."

The actor was hospitalized at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California after he suffered a stroke in his Los Angeles home. The resulting brain aneurysm left Sizemore in a coma and in critical condition and his family decided "end of life matters" on February 27.

Sizemore rose to prominence after a small role in Oliver Stone's 1989 fIlm Born on the Fourth of July. Subsequent small roles in the early 90's garnered the actor a reputation as a talented actor capable of transforming bit parts into memorable characters such as in the films True Romance, Point Break, and Strange Days.

Sizemore's stardom rose when he was cast alongside Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Val Kilmer in the 1995 hit film Heat, by Michael Mann.

After that the actor continued in a string or reliable, supporting roles in Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan and Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down.

The actor even made appearances in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and an episode of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, where he plays a deranged trucker trying to beat his addiction to male prostitutes.

Sizemore was plagued by substance abuse problems, including addictions to methamphetamines and heroin. He fought the addictions since he was a teenager according to Rolling Stone, but his "descent itself began in 2003, when he was convicted of domestic abuse against his then-girlfriend, Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss."

For his crime, Sizemore served a prison sentence of seven months, and "another four months in a drug rehabilitation center after repeatedly failing drug tests while on probation."

On Twitter, fellow actor and friend Robert Davi posted, "Am saddened to hear of Tom Sizemore's end of life - his family has my prayers - Tom and I were friends I knew of his suffering & his struggle with [addiction] - he was a terrific talent - Many families suffer from the heartbreak and tragedy of this disease and we do not do enough!!"

Paul Sizemore said, "I am deeply saddened by the loss of my big brother Tom. He was larger than life. He has influenced my life more than anyone I know. He was talented, loving, giving and could keep you entertained endlessly with his wit and storytelling ability. I am devastated he is gone and will miss him always."

Other notable roles included characters in the films Pearl Harbor, Natural Born Killers, and The Relic.