Beloved character actor Fred Ward, star of films ranging from cult smash “Tremors” to the acclaimed “The Right Stuff” and more, has reportedly died according to his publicist (via NPR). Ward was 79 and no cause of death has been given.
Born of part Cherokee descent, the muscular and gruff Ward served in the Air Force for three years and was a boxer, lumberjack, janitor and cook before turning to acting.
His first leading roles included “Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann” and “Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins,” but the actor was mostly known for strong lived-in supporting turns and ability to play both drama and comedy with ease.
As such he quickly built up an impressive resume across the 1980s in the likes of Philip Kaufman’s “The Right Stuff,” Don Siegel’s “Escape from Alcatraz,” Jim Abraham’s “Big Business,” Walter Hill’s “Southern Comfort,” Jonathan Demme’s “Swing Shift” and Mike Nichols’ “Silkwood” along with “Uncommon Valor,” “Catchfire,” “Carny,” “Florida Straits,” and “The Prince of Pennsylvania”.
The early 1990s was a big time for him, taking leading roles alongside Uma Thurman in “Henry and June,” and Kevin Bacon in the beloved creature feature “Tremors” which he returned to for that film’s first sequel. He not only starred in but was also instrumental in getting the Alec Baldwin-led “Miami Blues” made.
He also had key roles in Robert Altman’s masterpieces “The Player” and “Short Cuts,” parts in Michael Apted’s “Thunderheart” and Tim Robbins’ “Bob Roberts,” and played one of the villains in the third “Naked Gun” movie.
Though work subsequently slowed down, Ward still consistently appeared in multiple films and TV series including “Chain Reaction,” “Road Trip,” “Joe Dirt,” “Enough,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Abandon,” “2 Guns,” “ER,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “United States of Tara,” “Leverage,” and his final role in the second season of HBO’s “True Detective”.
He is survived by his wife of 27 years Marie-France Ward and his son Django Ward.
