Tom Noonan, Perfect Bad Guy, Dies at 74

Robocop star Tom Noonan has died at the age of 74. 

The actor and director, who was hailed the 'perfect bad guy,' passed away peacefully on Valentine's Day, his co-star Karen Sillas confirmed on Wednesday. 

Tom was best known for his role as Cain / RoboCain in the 1990s sequel and Francis Dollarhyde in Manhunter. 

Sharing the sad news to Instagram, Karen, who worked alongside him in What Happened Was..., paid tribute to his 'legacy.'

She wrote: 'My dear friend and co-star, 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 Theatre in the early nineties, was a turning point for me and my career that still resonates throughout my life and work as an actor.'

Robocop star Tom Noonan has died at the age of 74. The actor and director, who was hailed the 'perfect bad guy,' passed away peacefully on Valentine's Day

Tom was best known for his role as Cain / RoboCain in the 1990s sequel (pictured) and Francis Dollarhyde in Manhunter

Karen added: '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.' 

Fans shared on X: 'Man I'm sad about that. Incomparable. Feel a need to watch synecdoche new york or manhunt again ASAP, he defines those movies to me'; 

'Tom Noonan was one of those “secret weapon” actors. Raised the quality of any project he was in because he was that good!'; 

'I saw Last Action Hero (a perfectly okay movie) as a kid and was horrified by Tom Noonan as The Ripper. This man was in so many films that are way better and will be mentioned a lot today. But his performance in *this* one really left an impression'; 

'RIP Tom Noonan, The Monster Squad was such a big part of my childhood and still is my favorite movie.'

Tom began his career in 1980 securing a number of small roles in films such as Heaven's Gate. 

His breakout role came in 1986 with Manhunter before he went on to star as Frankenstein's Monster in The Monster Squad. 

Sharing the sad news to Instagram, Karen, who worked alongside him in What Happened Was..., paid tribute to his 'legacy' (pictured in Last Action Hero)

His breakout role came in 1986 with Manhunter (pictured) before he went on to star as Frankenstein's Monster in The Monster Squad

Fans shared on X: ' Man I'm sad about that. Incomparable. Feel a need to watch synecdoche new york or manhunt again ASAP, he defines those movies to me'

Pictured in 12 Monkeys in 2015

The actor's credits also include The House of the Devil, Heat and Last Action Hero as well as series such as The X-Files and CSI. 

He played Cain, the leader of the Nuke drug cartel, in RoboCop 2, the sequel to the 1987 film. 

The 1987 version, starring Peter Weller and Nancy Allen, opened at number one in the box office in its opening weekend. It went on to gross $53.4 million in North America, making it the 16th most successful movie that year. It cost $13 million to make.

Two other sequels followed in 1990 and 1993, but both received mixed reviews and and neither featured the original writers or director.