Tom Hunsinger obituary

The Guardian

11-04-2025

My writing and directing partner, Tom Hunsinger, who has died aged 72, had careers in acting, writing, directing and teaching. Together we made three feature films, of which Lawless Heart (2001) was the most successful. Tom later found a home as a teacher at Rada, where his fiercely honest opinions inspired devoted respect from many of his students.
Tom, an American, was born in Wichita in Kansas to Charlie Hunsinger and Carol (nee Clark), who were farmers. He went to Valley Center high school and then Emporia State University, where he majored in drama before travelling to London in 1975 to study at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.
Afterwards he became one of the leading actors with the Cherub theatre company, touring nationally and internationally as well as with seasons at the Young Vic in London.
He had a short spell away from Cherub with the Royal Shakespeare Company for their 1982-83 season, playing small parts in various productions, before returning briefly to Cherub and then moving on to the Birmingham Rep from the mid-1980s onwards. When we met at the start of the 90s, he was keen to move away from acting, though many will attest that a flair for drama never deserted him.
The three independent films we co-wrote and co-directed were Boyfriends (1996), about three gay friends who converge at the seaside for the weekend, each with a boyfriend in tow, Lawless Heart (2001), intersecting stories about people whose lives are affected by the death of a gay restaurateur, and Sparkle (2007), about an ambitious young man who finds he has to choose between his career and the woman of his dreams. All were based on improvisation, and featured actors such as Tom Hollander, Bill Nighy, Shaun Evans, Bob Hoskins, Lesley Manville and Stockard Channing. Boyfriends and Lawless Heart won various awards, including best screenplay for the latter at the British Independent Film Awards.
In 2007 Tom joined Rada as a teacher, becoming a course leader from 2011 until 2021. Students past and present benefited immensely from his guidance and mentorship, and many of them remained as friends long after they left the institution.
Tom largely resisted the temptations of the 21st century – no mobile phone or social media for him – but remained committed to some from a previous era, most notably Silk Cut cigarettes. He was rarely seen without a large backpack that he carried everywhere; its contents will sadly now forever remain a mystery.
He is survived by his brother Terry.