Tom Noonan: Manhunter and Robocop star dies aged 74
Tom Noonan, the actor, writer and director whose work left a deep scar across horror and genre cinema, has died aged 74.
According to his former co-star Karen Sillas, Noonan passed away peacefully on Valentine’s Day 2026. The news was shared via Instagram, where Sillas reflected on their long friendship and creative partnership.
“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.”
Noonan was best known to horror fans for his unforgettable performance as Francis Dollarhyde in Manhunter (1986), directed by Michael Mann. His portrayal of the tormented serial killer brought a chilling physicality and emotional weight to Thomas Harris’ character, shaping how the antagonist would be viewed long before Hannibal Lecter became a household name. For many, Noonan’s Dollarhyde remains the most unsettling version committed to screen.
His genre credentials ran deep. Noonan appeared in Wolfen (1981), adding to the film’s bleak, urban nightmare atmosphere, and later turned up in RoboCop 2 (1990), Irvin Kershner’s brutal and satirical sequel to Paul Verhoeven’s classic. Noonan appeared as Cain (and later as RoboCop 2), the leader of the Nuke drug cartel. His calm yet psychedelic portrayal was a stand out performance. He also showed a sharp sense of humour in the meta-action fantasy Last Action Hero (1993), playing the deformed killer the “Ripper” , one of the film’s most memorable side characters. Decades later, he returned to horror roots with a chilling supporting role in The House of the Devil (2009), proving his ability to unsettle audiences had lost none of its power.
Beyond horror and genre work, Noonan built a singular career across film, television and theatre. His indie drama What Happened Was… (1994), which he wrote, directed and starred in opposite Karen Sillas, won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. Originally developed as an off-Broadway play at the Paradise Factory Theater, the film became a landmark of intimate, dialogue-driven independent cinema.
Whether looming silently in the shadows or exposing raw human vulnerability, Tom Noonan brought an unmistakable presence to every role. His work continues to haunt, disturb and inspire, a legacy Horror Land will not forget.
Hilly Horror
Hilly love of horror knows no bounds. As a massive fan of slasher and ghost films, she has watched all of the Wrong Turn and Paranormal Activity films. Now that’s bravery at a scale we can’t beat.
