George Clooney leads Hollywood A-listers in paying tributes to Tom Wilkinson

Los Angeles [US]: Veteran actor Tom Wilkinson’s demise has left the entertainment industry extremely saddened.

From George Clooney, Michael McKean to Richard Roeper, several celebrities paid their heartfelt condolences over the demise of acclaimed British actor Tom Wilkinson. Wilkinson passed away on Saturday at the age of 75.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, in a statement, Clooney said, “Tom made every project better, made every actor better. He was the epitome of elegance, and he will be dearly missed by all of us.”
Taking to X, McKean paid his heartfelt condolences.

In his tweet, he described Tom as a “great actor.”

“A great actor. RIP, Tom Wilkinson,” he tweeted.

Remembering Tom, Roeper wrote on X, “There was never a Tom Wilkinson moment onscreen that didn’t feel authentic. He wasn’t a supporting player; he was an actor who elevated the material, regardless of genre. I’ll never forget his heartbreakingly great work as a father overcome with grief in ‘In the Bedroom.’ RIP.”

Filmmaker Scott Derrickson, who worked with Wilkinson on The Exorcism of Emily Rose, shared an anecdote from when they wrapped the film, calling it his “favorite … memory” of the actor.

“I went to [Wilkinson] to say goodbye,” Derrickson wrote. “As I went in for a hug, he turned sideways and put one arm around my shoulder. I said, ‘Well that’s a British hug if I’ve ever had one…’ He frowned at me, then grabbed my face and kissed me right on the lips for a good five seconds, then declared loudly,

‘Don’t ever insult British affection or sense of romance! We invented the stuff!'”

Tom was Oscar-nominated for his roles in “Michael Clayton,” in which he played an attorney who has a manic episode; and Todd Field’s “In the Bedroom,” as the doctor husband to Sissy Spacek’s character.

In addition to the accolades he received for his film roles, Wilkinson won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his role as Benjamin Franklin in HBO’s 2008 John Adams miniseries, starring Paul Giamatti as the titular second president of the United States. At both awards shows, he was also nominated for his role as James Baker in another HBO project, the Jay Roach-directed film Recount, about the contentious weeks after the 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore and the Florida recount.

Wilkinson is survived by his wife, actor Diana Hardcastle, and two daughters.