Tom Noonan

Thomas Patrick Noonan (April 12, 1951 – February 14, 2026) was an American actor, director and screenwriter, best known for his roles as Francis Dollarhyde in Manhunter, Frankenstein's Monster in The Monster Squad (1987), Cain in RoboCop 2 (1990), The Ripper in Last Action Hero (1993), Kelso in Heat (1995), Sammy Barnathan in Synecdoche, New York (2008), Mr. Ulman in The House of the Devil (2009), Reverend Nathaniel in Hell on Wheels (2011–2014), the Pallid Man in 12 Monkeys (2015–2018), and as the voice of everyone but Michael and Lisa in Anomalisa (2015).

Noonan was also a writer and director of theatre and film. His debut feature film as a filmmaker, What Happened Was... (1994), won the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival.

Early life Thomas Patrick Noonan was born on April 12, 1951, in Greenwich, Connecticut, the son of Rita (McGannon), a mathematics teacher, and John Noonan Sr., a jazz musician and doctor of dental surgery. He had an older brother, John Ford Noonan, an actor, playwright, and screenwriter, and two sisters, Barbara and Nancy. Noonan was a very talented basketball player, and said "playing basketball is how I learned to perform in a lot of ways. It's how I got interested in performing... I never acted as a kid. I never did school plays. I never acted until I was 27...you learn a lot when you're in front of people and you've got a crowd going and you're doing something that you love to do. A lot of the skills that you would need for acting come through that... It's like a life and death struggle in front of people that you hope to impress."

Career Noonan started working in theatre (appearing in the original Off-Broadway production of Sam Shepard's play Buried Child), but in the 1980s he began working in film. At tall, Noonan's imposing presence was probably responsible for his tendency to be cast as menacing villains, as in RoboCop 2,

In 1986, Noonan played Francis Dollarhyde, a serial killer who kills entire families, in Michael Mann's Manhunter, ), Law & Order: Criminal Intent, for which he won the San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Death Noonan died at a hospital in Englewood, New Jersey, on February 14, 2026, at the age of 74. and later confirmed by Fred Dekker in a tribute on Facebook.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1980 Willie & Phil Man In Park Gloria 2nd Man - Gangster Heaven's Gate Jake 1981 Wolfen Ferguson 1983 Eddie Macon's Run Daryl Potts Easy Money Paddy 1984 Best Defense Frank Holtzman 1985 The Man with One Red Shoe Reese Tom Goes to the Bar Unknown Short film 1986 F/X Varrick Manhunter Francis Dollarhyde 1987 The Monster Squad Frankenstein's Monster 1989 Collision Course Scully Mystery Train Man in Arcade Diner Segment: "A Ghost" 1990 RoboCop 2 Cain / RoboCain 1993 Last Action Hero Ripper / Tommy Noonan 1994 What Happened Was... Michael Also writer, director, editor and composer 1995 Heat Kelso The Wife Jack Also writer, director, editor and composer 1998 Phoenix Chicago 1999 The Astronaut's Wife Jackson McLaren Wang Dang Mickey Hounsell Unreleased; also writer and director 2000 The Opportunists Mort Stein The Photographer Butler 2001 The Pledge Gary Jackson Knockaround Guys Sheriff Decker Bullet in the Brain Anders Short film 2002 Eight Legged Freaks Joshua Taft Uncredited 2003 The Egoists Bryon Bradley Madness and Genius Frank Donovan 2004 Hair High Principal Voice 2005 The Roost Horror Host They're Made Out of Meat Duncan Short film 2006 Seraphim Falls Minister Abraham 2007 Snow Angels Mr. Chervenick 2008 The Alphabet Killer Ray Gullikson Synecdoche, New York Sammy Barnathan 2009 The House of the Devil Mr. Ulman 2010 Follow the Prophet Brother John The Rendezvous Writer 2012 The Pilgrim & The Private Eye Leche Short film Skinhead Requiem Priest 2014 Late Phases Father Roger Smith The Shape of Something Squashed Douglas WhymperAlso writer and director 2015 Anomalisa Everyone else Voice 2017 Wonderstruck Older Walter

Television Year Title Role Notes 1980 Rage! Bo Television film 1984 Tales from the Darkside Bill Lacey Episode: "The Odds" 1989 The Equalizer Brandon Thorton Episode: "Making of a Martyr" 1991 Red Wind Television film; writer and producer The Ten Million Dollar Getaway Mr. Y Television film Monsters Howard Mitla Episode: "The Moving Finger"; Also wrote and directed two episodes 1994 Heaven and Hell: North and South, Book III Will Fenway 3 episodes 1996 Early Edition Frank Price Episode: "Pilot" The X-Files John Lee Roche Episode: "Paper Hearts" 2000 The Beat Howard Schmidt 13 episodes 2002 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Zephyr Episode: "Abra Cadaver" 2003 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Malcolm Bryce Episode: "Graansha" 2004 The Jury Marty McMahon Episode: "The Honeymoon Suite" 2005 Jonny Zero Chucky Episode: "No Good Deed" 2007 Kidnapped Gibson Episode: "Do Unto Others" 2008 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Jake Berlin Episode: "Confession" 2009–2011 DamagesDetective Victor Huntley 17 episodes 2010 Louie Dr. Haveford Episode: "God" 2011 The Cape Preston Holloway 2 episodes Bar Karma Caleb Episode: "Man Walks Out of a Bar" 2011–2014 Hell on Wheels Reverend Nathaniel Cole 17 episodes 2013–2014 The Blacklist The Stewmaker 2 episodes: "The Stewmaker", "The Decembrist" 2014 How and Why Man in Black Parka Pilot The Leftovers Casper Episode: "The Guest" 2015–2018 12 Monkeys Pallid Man 18 episodes 2016 Horace and Pete Tom 3 episodes Quarry Oldcastle 2017 Dimension 404 Bob Voice; Episode: "Bob" 2018 Animals. Phil's Dad Voice; Episode: "The Democratic People's Republic of Kitty City"