Tom Noonan, the soft-spoken actor whose imposing frame made him a memorable cinematic villain, has died at the age of 74. Born on April 12, 1951, in Greenwich, Connecticut, Noonan was the younger brother of playwright and screenwriter John Ford Noonan. He embarked on his acting career in theater during his twenties before moving to Hollywood in the late 1980s.

Thanks to his looming 6'5" physique and balding pate, Noonan was frequently cast in antagonist roles. Early in his career, he took on small roles in notable films such as Michael Cimino's Western "Heaven's Gate," John Cassavetes' acclaimed neo-noir "Gloria," and the horror film "Wolfen."

Noonan's big break arrived in 1986 when he was cast as the serial killer Francis Dollarhyde, famously known as the "Tooth Fairy," in Michael Mann's film "Manhunter." Although the film was not a substantial financial success and would later be somewhat overshadowed by subsequent adaptations of Thomas Harris's Hannibal Lecter novels, Noonan's nuanced and frightening portrayal of Dollarhyde garnered universal praise. Released on August 15, 1986, "Manhunter" ran for 119 minutes and featured a cast including William Petersen, Kim Greist, Joan Allen, and Brian Cox, with writing credits to Thomas Harris and Michael Mann. This pivotal role led to a series of other iconic villainous parts, including the sadistic drug lord Cain in "RoboCop 2," Frankenstein's monster in "The Monster Squad," and the maniacal Ripper in "Last Action Hero," where he also notably played himself as part of the film's meta framework. Noonan collaborated with director Michael Mann once more in a memorable role as a criminal hacker in the 1995 film "Heat."

Beyond his film work, Noonan was a familiar presence on television, making guest appearances on popular series such as "The X-Files," "The Blacklist," and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," the latter of which reunited him with his "Manhunter" nemesis, William Petersen. He also held leading roles in the TV series "Damages," "Hell on Wheels," and "12 Monkeys."

In his later years, Noonan delivered notable performances in distinctive projects, including Charlie Kaufman's mind-bending art film "Synecdoche, New York" and Ti West's throwback horror film "The House of the Devil." In one of his more unusual and acclaimed roles, he lent his voice to the animated film "Anomalisa," where he voiced every character in the film except for the two main protagonists.

Noonan was also an accomplished playwright, adapting two of his own plays, "What Happened Was..." and "The Wife," for the screen, starring in both. His final performance was in the HBO animated series "Animals."

Tom Noonan's death was first announced by Karen Sillas, his co-star in "What Happened Was...", who reported that he passed away peacefully on February 14.