Last month brought suitable mourning for Robert Duvall and Frederick Wiseman, whose legacies are so enshrined that the lengthy obituaries published by major outlets could have—likely were—written years ago. But immediately after came a quieter announcement that hit me hardest: Tom Noonan, the actor best-known for his collaborations with Michael Mann and Charlie Kaufman, and a filmmaker who made formally elegant and emotionally lacerating features based on his own plays. (As discussed in my 2021 interview with him.) While his passing may, to various film institutions, not seem so notable as Duvall or Wiseman, I noticed that the online reaction was essentially as instant and admiring. It’s perhaps impossible to experience a Noonan performance, with that tall frame and mellifluous voice, and come away feeling like you’d seen any other actor.
My friend, the critic Keith Uhlich, had known Noonan closely, working with him in both theater and cinema. I considered here and now the proper time to reminisce on Noonan’s work, and a unique opportunity to Keith tell intimate stories of him as both an artist and friend.
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Music courtesy of Lex Walton: “Love Theme from an Unreleased Film” from the album Giving It Up.