Interview With Tom Sizemore, Starring in ‘Impuratus’

For more than 30 years, well-known character actor Tom Sizemore has made an indelible mark on the film world, and now he has a starring role in Impuratus. This indie supernatural thriller will surely keep viewers guessing.

Sizemore, best known for Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, Heat, Natural Born Killers, and Born on the Fourth of July, continues to make his mark in major Hollywood movies and is also doing so in a stunning new indie film.

The movie, Impuratus, is about a police detective, Clayton Douglas, (Tom Sizemore), who is summoned to a remote state mental hospital to witness a mysterious Civil War veteran’s outrageous death-bed confession that forces the officer to accept the supernatural.

Filmed at the actual Pennhurst Asylum, just outside of Philadelphia, in the dank, dark asylum basement, Detective Douglas sees and hears things that will forever change his life and the lives of his loved ones.

Sizemore says there were many reasons he agreed to come to Philadelphia to make Impuratus.

“I enjoyed the script. It was a terrific leading part,” he explained. “This movie had a lot of qualities I like when I’m trying to find a new project. It was a period piece which was interesting, and I really liked the people that were involved.”

The movie co-stars Jody Quigley, Airen DeLaMater, Robert Miano, and Lew Temple. Guy Quigley of Thundersmoke Media produced it.

Impuratus is slated for a March 2023 debut. The teaser for Impuratus has won several dozen film festival awards; including three for Sizemore and several for director Michael Yurinko.

One of the major challenges involving the making of Impuratus was the bitter cold temperatures, both inside and outside the asylum.

Jody Quigley,who plays the pivotal role of Daniel Glassman,says he enjoyed getting to know Sizemore during the making of Impuratus.

“Tom is a down-to-earth guy. He doesn’t have that Hollywood attitude. He came to set prepared and was happy to throw in his two cents on how to make a scene better,” says Quigley. “So, he brought his acting chops to the table and he delivered. It was a great experience working with him.”

Michael Yurinko, calls Sizemore, “one of our very unassuming, very giving people,” Yurinko adds. “Tom has very little ego; he’s just an all-around nice guy.”

The film’s director said the first few days of filming he thought maybe Sizemore needed to “pump up his energy a bit,” but when he watched the footage, he saw the true cinematic magic.

“Tom had that character nailed. He knew exactly what to do with that character.  And it was just quite easy editing that performance together. He’s a smart guy, whose oozes talent and he just played that role perfectly,” says Yurinko.

Q and A with Tom Sizemore:

Why did you agree to come to Philadelphia to make Impuratus?

Tom Sizemore: Well, I enjoyed the script. It was a terrific, leading part. Yes, it had a lot of qualities I like when I’m trying to find something to do.  It was a period piece which was interesting, and I really liked the people that were involved.

What are a few recent movies you enjoyed watching or streaming and why?

I just watched Bullet Train on Netflix and really enjoyed it. Brad is such a good actor and this was no exception. Other than that, I have been so busy filming that I haven’t had a chance to watch much. I’m home now for a few weeks so I will catch up. check back in a month.

How did you spend your off-time when you were in Philadelphia making the movie?

Getting warm. staying Warm. Getting Warm. staying Warm. etc.

Have you seen the final cut, or near the final cut, of Impuratus? What was your reaction?

 I saw a very early cut at and I was blown away. The quality was astounding, the acting (including mine of course) but seriously everyone was outstanding and the photography superb. Can’t wait to see the final version with the music all in.

What were the surprises you encountered during the making of the movie in December 2021?

The cold, it was so cold. How creepy Pennhurst is. How stunning the set was. How did the Art Dept. do that? And the caliber of the camera dept.

How did you stay warm?

I did what everybody else did. I wore hand warmers and always kept a nice toasty coat on me when I wasn’t shooting. And I stayed near those little furnaces, those portable furnaces that they have when it’s super cold out. I stayed close to those.  It was just cold.  It was bitter cold actually. Ironically, it was colder inside the building than it was outside. It hadn’t been heated in a number of years, so yes, it was bitter cold. We all did okay.

In addition to being cold, was it creepy?

It was a scary place. It was dirty. The administrators got up and left in the middle of the night like 50 years ago. I understand that’s what they did, so it was really a scary place as well. The cold helped it seem even more foreboding.

Is there something in particular that stood out about writer-director Michael Yurinko’s script?

It was just terrific. Especially, for a horror movie, it was just really smart and elegant.

You’ve had a long career, more than 30 years.  What do you attribute to your longevity?

My passion for the work. I’ve always loved movies. That’s why I started doing this and after all these years I still adore movies. The business has changed a whole bunch. A friend of mine just turned me onto Ozark and I can’t stop thinking about it. So, it’s about just having a real passion for stories and my nascent curiosity.  I’m lucky I like it so much.

Looking at your list of movies and projects, obviously, it’s very impressive.  Is there one or two that jump out at you as being just the most memorable or the most exciting?

Natural Born Killers was the first leading part in a major production. It was such a unique production and the actors were so terrific. Oliver Stone was at the top of his game, and Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan for obvious reasons.

Are there any others that come to mind?

Heat, Black Hawk Down, Dreamcatcher, A Broken Life, and The Last Lullaby; I truly love those movies. I was lucky to have been given the opportunity to work with many terrific directors.

What kinds of movies/roles do you look forward to doing in the future?

I believe that I have a second act coming and that I need to start doing more dramatic roles and stay away from the bad guy, military, and cop roles. So, I say to him, you’re right, get me those roles.

How do you enjoy your free time?

I’m a voracious reader, I watch films and as I’m a homebody, I like to stay at home in the usual warm in LA.

Why do you recommend that everyone sees Impuratus?

For a good scare and cuddle up with a friend or maybe someone that they really like. You will get a good scare. Everyone likes to be scared. This thing will scare you and it’s really elegant. It’s a really cool set. It’s nice to watch.  It’s really well shot; it’s really nice looking.