Actor Tom Noonan, known for memorable roles in films including Manhunter, Heat and The Monster Squad, has died at 74.
The Monster Squad director Fred Dekker announced Noonan’s death in a Facebook post, saying the actor died Saturday.
“It’s with great sadness that I share the passing of Tom Noonan,” Dekker wrote. “Tom’s indelible performance as Frankenstein in The Monster Squad is a highlight of my modest filmography … he was the proverbial gentleman and scholar, and the world has lost a great talent.”
Actress Karen Sillas, who starred opposite Noonan in the 1994 film adaptation of his off-Broadway play What Happened Was…, also paid tribute on Instagram. “My dear friend and co-star, Tom Noonan passed peacefully on Valentine’s Day 2026,” she wrote. “What a privilege and crazy fun it was working with this man and calling him my friend to the end … may his legacy continue to shine on.”
Noonan began his career in theater, earning notice in the original off-Broadway production of Sam Shepard’s play Buried Child, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
He transitioned to film in the 1980s, landing an early role in the notorious box-office flop Heaven’s Gate. Tall and soft-spoken, Noonan became known for portraying intense and often menacing characters. He memorably played serial killer Francis Dollarhyde in director Michael Mann’s Manhunter, the first film adaptation to feature Hannibal Lecter.
Among his other notable roles, Noonan portrayed a drug kingpin in RoboCop 2, the Ripper in Last Action Hero, and a hacker in Heat.
“I’ve always been a very quiet person, and ironic, and subtle, and a lot of the parts that I get to play are these loudmouth maniacs who have something really wrong with them,” Noonan said in a 1994 interview.
His later film credits included Synecdoche, New York, The Pledge, The Astronaut’s Wife, The House of the Devil and the animated feature Anomalisa, for which he voiced the entire supporting cast.
On television, he appeared in series such as The X-Files, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Damages and Hell on Wheels.
In addition to What Happened Was…, another of his plays, Wifey, was adapted into the film The Wife.
Noonan is survived by a daughter and a son.
