Tom Noonan Movies and Career Information

Tom Noonan (born April 12, 1951) is an American actor and film writer-director. Noonan was born in Greenwich, Connecticut, the son of Rosaleen and Tom Noonan, who worked as a dentist and jazz musician respectively. He has an older brother, John Ford Noonan, a playwright, and two sisters, Rosemary and Caroline. Noonan started working in theatre (appearing in the original Off-Broadway production Sam Shepard's play Buried Child), but in the 1980s he began working in film. At 6 feet, 6 inches (198 cm), Noonan's imposing presence is probably responsible for his tendency to be cast as menacing villains, as in RoboCop 2, Last Action Hero, and The Pledge. In 1986, Noonan played Francis Dolarhyde, a serial killer who kills entire families, in Manhunter, the first movie to feature Hannibal Lecter. To date, it is his most recognizable leading role. His biggest supporting role was in 1995, as Kelso in Heat. He also played Frankenstein in The Monster Squad. During the 1990s, he wrote various plays, including two that he made into movies, What Happened Was... (1994) and The Wife (1995). In the 2000s, Noonan appeared in various other movies, including a widely praised role as Sammy Barnathan in