How Tom Sizemore Influenced General Hospital Star Jon Lindstrom's First Novel
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Jon Lindstrom has been a mainstay on "General Hospital" since 1992 where he originated the evil serial killer, Ryan Chamberlain. Although a murderer of such magnitude can't possibly be sustained as an active character without being killed or incarcerated, Lindstrom did such a magnificent job that he was asked to play Ryan's good twin, Kevin Collins, in 1994. He would effortlessly switch between the characters over the decades, using their demeanors to indicate which one was onscreen without any need for dialogue. In February 2023, after escaping from Ferncliff sanitarium with the equally evil Heather Webber (Alley Mills), the two took their unwitting daughter Esme Prince (Avery Pohl) on a wild ride that ended with Mac Scorpio (John J. York) ultimately shooting and killing Ryan.
Lindstrom continues to play the stoic psychiatrist Kevin, and also has a real-life project that's finally come to fruition: a novel titled "Hollywood Hustle," published on February 6, 2024. The story centers around a washed-up actor named Winston Greene who learns that his granddaughter has been kidnapped, and the perpetrators want his money in exchange for her life. However, Winston has no dough and must team up with "a legendary Hollywood stuntman and a disgraced former LAPD detective" in a race against time to save the girl.
In promoting his book, Lindstrom explained his desire to delve into the dark side of Hollywood, and told Soaps the surprising fact that "It was very much inspired by the late Tom Sizemore."
Robert DeNiro helped Tom Sizemore get to rehab
Tom Sizemore was among several actors we sadly lost in 2023. The "Saving Private Ryan" star died from a brain aneurysm caused by a stroke on February 18. In his February 6, 2024 interview with Soaps, "General Hospital" star Jon Lindstrom continued explaining the actor's influence on his novel "Hollywood Hustle." "What if Tom had gotten himself together in time to still remain healthy enough to keep living?" he mused, adding, "Because from what I understand, he had just abused himself so much, he just gave out."
Sizemore grew up idolizing legendary actor Robert DeNiro, and in 1995, he lucked out when he starred alongside him in the film, "Heat." However, his drug addiction was running rampant, and in September 1998 he told The Independent that after the film's completion, DeNiro bluntly said, "You're going to die." He recalled that DeNiro took him to rehab and couldn't believe what his idol told him, tearfully stating that DeNiro praised him. "'I love you,' he told me, 'like you're my son.' I didn't wanna go. But I couldn't say no to him."
In a February 2024 interview with The Big Thrill, Lindstrom also explained his inspiration. "The actual life of "Hollywood" is rarely portrayed accurately, or even honestly," he stated, continuing, "I hope I was able to convey some truth about it. I also couldn't get some of the more talented, but cursed, members of the industry out of my mind."
Lindstrom took Sizemore's tragedy as a life lesson
In 2016, Tom Sizemore wrote an autobiography entitled, "By Some Miracle I Made it Out of There," where he explained that while seeking help for his heroin addiction, Robert DeNiro showed up and stated, "'OK. OK, now we can talk ... Now you listen to me, I'm no psychiatrist ... but you're either going to go to rehab or go to prison' — and in walks a cop" (via Far Out Magazine). Sadly, the damage to his body was done, eventually causing his aneurysm.
But Sizemore wasn't the only Hollywood star that inspired Jon Lindstrom's novel, "Hollywood Hustle." He continued his talk with The Big Thrill, noting that "Michael Madsen and the late Tom Sizemore are good examples of brilliantly gifted performers who have had epic public battles with substance abuse, and that has had a tremendous [effect] on their career trajectories." He explained that many who get sober never return to the career level they were once at. It got very personal for Lindstrom who took the downfall of many an actor as life lessons, remarking, "Then, of course, I had to imagine that it could have been me."
Lindstrom encapsulated what he hoped the reader would take away from his book, stating, "I would hope they gain a better understanding of the travails that Hollywood professionals encounter, but also a sense that we lucky enough to work in this business are very, very grateful for it."
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).