Tom Noonan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tom Noonan
Noonan in 2009
Born	(1951-04-12) April 12, 1951 (age 74) Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.
Years active	1978–present
Spouse(s)	Karen Young ​ ​ (m. 1992; div. 1999)​
Children	2
Relatives	John Ford Noonan (brother)

Tom Noonan was born on April 12, 1951. He is an American actor, director, and writer. He is well-known for playing many different characters in movies and TV shows.

Some of his most famous roles include Francis Dollarhyde in Manhunter (1986) and Frankenstein's Monster in The Monster Squad (1987). He also played Cain in RoboCop 2 (1990) and The Ripper in Last Action Hero (1993). Later, he was Sammy Barnathan in Synecdoche, New York (2008) and Mr. Ulman in The House of the Devil (2009). On TV, he played Reverend Nathaniel in Hell on Wheels (2011–2014) and the Pallid Man in 12 Monkeys (2015–2018). He even voiced all the other characters in the animated movie Anomalisa (2015).

Tom Noonan also writes and directs plays and movies. His first movie as a director, What Happened Was (1994), won important awards at the Sundance Film Festival.

Early Life and Interests

Tom Noonan was born in Greenwich, Connecticut. His mother, Rita, was a math teacher. His father, John Noonan Sr., was a jazz musician and a dentist. Tom has an older brother, John Ford Noonan, who is a writer for plays, and two sisters, Barbara and Nancy.

When he was younger, Tom was a very good basketball player. He said that playing basketball helped him learn how to perform. He didn't start acting until he was 27 years old. He learned a lot about being in front of people and doing something he loved, which helped him with acting later on.

Acting and Directing Career

Noonan started his career in theatre. He appeared in a play called Buried Child. In the 1980s, he began working in film. Tom Noonan is very tall, about 6 feet 5 inches. Because of his height, he often played scary or strong characters in movies like RoboCop 2, Last Action Hero, and Manhunter.

In 1986, he played Francis Dollarhyde in the movie Manhunter. This was the first movie to feature the famous character Hannibal Lecter. He also played the Frankenstein monster in The Monster Squad.

During the 1990s, Tom Noonan wrote several plays. He even turned two of his plays into movies: What Happened Was... (1994) and The Wife (1995). In the 2000s, he acted in more movies, including a role as Sammy Barnathan in Synecdoche, New York.

Noonan has also been in many TV shows. He appeared in The X-Files in an episode written just for him. He was also in Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He played Detective Victor Huntley in Damages and Reverend Nathaniel Cole in Hell on Wheels.

In 2015, Tom Noonan used his voice to play all the other characters in the stop-motion movie Anomalisa. He won an award for his voice work in that film.

Film Roles

Television Roles

See also

In Spanish: Tom Noonan para niños