Tom Noonan
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
Tall (6'6"), lanky and balding, Tom Noonan is a veritable one-man movie studio, serving as producer, director, writer, editor, composer and, on occasion, star of a handful of well-received independent features. Born and raised in Connecticut, he dropped out of Yale and moved to Boston before eventually settling in Manhattan where he began his showbiz career as a musician and composer. Switching to acting, Noonan first came to prominence as the star of Sam Shepard's "Buried Child" in 1978. In films, he achieved notoriety as a serial killer in Michael Mann's taut "Manhunter" (1986). Using his towering, eccentric look, at once fragile and terrifying, Noonan went on to create a galaxy of screen villains, most memorably in "F/X" (1986), "RoboCop 2" (1990) and "Last Action Hero" (1993).
Opening his own theater in the 1982 with his film acting earnings, Noonan wrote and directed as well as acted in several plays, two of which he also produced as films. "What Happened Was..." (produced Off-Broadway 1992; released as a feature 1994), won the best narrative film award at the Sundance Film Festival and detailed in real time the awkward first date between a mismatched pair, played by Noonan and Karen Sillas. His 1994 play "Wifey" was the basis for "The Wife" (filmed in 1994; released in 1996), about a patient who shows up at his therapists' home. His most recent play, "Wang Dang" (1998), about a guest lecturer out to seduce a student, is expected to be filmed.
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Editing (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1977
Off-Broadway debut in Michael Weller's "Split"
1978
Came to prominence in Sam Shepard's "Buried Child"
1980
Made screen acting debut in "Willie & Phil"
1982
Founded Paradise Theater Company
1986
Delivered a memorably chilling performance as a serial killer in Michael Mann's "Manhunter"
1987
Cast as Frankenstein in "Monster Squad"
1990
Played criminal mastermind Cain in "Robocop 2"
1991
Wrote and produced the USA Network TV-movie "Red Wind"
1992
Wrote, directed and acted in the stage version of "What Happened Was..."
1994
Wrote and directed the stage play "Wifey"
1994
Wrote, directed, produced and acted in the film version of "What Happened Was..."
1996
Directed and co-starred in the feature film, "The Wife"; also edited, scored and adapted from his play "Wifey"
1998
Premiered new play "Wang Dang"
1999
Wrote and directed the film adaptation of his play, "Wang Dang"
2001
Co-starred in the Sean Penn directed film, "The Pledge"
2005
Starred in the horror film, "The Roost"
2007
Co-starred with Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan in the western, "Seraphim Falls"
2008
Co-starred in Charlie Kaufman's directorial debut, "Synecdoche, New York"
2009
Lent his voice to Spike Jonze's live-action adaptation of Maurice Sendak's children's book, "Where the Wild Things Are"
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Family
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