Tom Noonan, a legendary actor and director, and one of the best on-screen villains ever, died on February 14th. He was 74.

His death was announced by actress Karen Sillas, a longtime friend and collaborator, and Fred Dekker, who worked with Noonan on The Monster Squad. There was no cause of death immediately disclosed.

Tom Noonan’s breakout role came with Manhunter, directed by Michael Mann. He played the terrifying Red Dragon/Francis Dollarhyde, opposite William Peterson’s Will Graham. After that role, he became a much-desired character actor in Hollywood. He often played bad guys, outsiders, monsters, and other unsavory characters. His turn as Cain, the cult leader in Robocop 2 is a major highlight of that film.

He also played Frankenstein’s Monster in The Monster Squad and the slasher villain The Ripper in Last Action Hero. He later appeared in films like Heat, The House of the Devil, and 12 Monkeys. His TV career was also successful with roles on shows like The X-Files and CSI.

He was born in Brooklyn, New York and began his career in the late 1970s and early 80s with small film and theater roles. Noonan was also a respected director and playwright. He wrote and directed What Happened Was… off-Broadway in the 90s before its adaptation into a film.

Here’s Karen Sillas’s statement about Noonan’s passing.

“My dear friend and costar, Tom Noonan passed peacefully on Valentine’s Day 2026. Working with him in his original off Broadway play, ‘What Happened Was…,’ at the Paradise Factory Theater in the early nineties, was a turning point for me and my career that still resonates throughout my life and work as an actor.”

“Little did I know when we shot it as a film a year later, we would be creating one of 1990’s most iconic Indies in American cinema. 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.”

Our thoughts go out to his friends and family in this trying time.

RIP.