Fred Ward, a veteran actor best known for his diverse roles in Robert Altman’s Trembling, Right Things, and Short Paths, has died. He was 79.
A spokesman for the “Exit Speed” star confirmed to The Post that he died last weekend.
“I am sorry to announce the death of the famous actor Fred Ward, who died on Sunday, May 8, 2022, at the age of 79,” the statement said.
Golden Globe winner, actor and producer is best known for “The Right Stuff”, “Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins”, “Tremors”, “Miami Blues”, “Henry & June”, “The Player” and “Short Cuts.”
Ward spokesman Ron Hoffman told The Post that the cause of his death would not be revealed at this time – but they shared his latest wishes:
“It was Fred Ward’s wish that all memorial tributes be made in the form of donations to the Center for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University. Please visit or contact 617-358-9535 for more information. ”
Ward spent the last years of his life developing his second favorite art form: painting, his spokesman said.
Fred Ward and Joel Gray in “Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins.” The Orion Pictures family will not reveal the cause of death, his spokesman said. FilmMagic Fred Ward and Upie Goldberg in The Player. The Everett Fred Ward Collection starred in Trembling (1990) with Kevin Bacon. Universal Pictures
He is survived by his 27-year-old wife Marie-France Ward and his son Django Ward.
The news of his death spread on Twitter on Friday, as Rolling Stone editor Alan Sepinwall called out Ward’s cult status.
“RIP, Fred Ward, a great heroic actor whose great success as a lead man, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, unfortunately failed, but who continued to give great live performances for the rest of his career,” he wrote.
Fred Ward at the 2007 premiere of “Feast of Love” FilmMagic Keanu Reeves and Fred Ward in 1988’s “The Prince of Pennsylvania”. Everett Ann Archer and Fred Ward Collection in Short Videos. Everett Collection
Film critic Robert Daniels also expressed his condolences, writing: “Fred Ward was absurdly good. A professional in everything he did from the TEMOROS to the PLAYER. He could even make a great performance is something as obviously dumb as JOE DIRT. Completely underestimated. ”
Ward began his career in 1979 with Clint Eastwood as his friend on the Escape from Alcatraz Prison. Prior to his breakthrough role, the San Diego-born starred in cabaret in Europe and North Africa, Turner Classic Movies reported, before heading to Los Angeles to support himself by selling jewelry on the street.
Ward, left, in “Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins” © Orion Pictures Corp. / Courtesy of Fred Fred Ward as Remo Williams © Orion Pictures Corp. / Courtesy of E
RIP, Fred Ward, a great heroic actor, whose great success as a lead man, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, unfortunately failed, but who continued to give great live performances until the end of his career. pic.twitter.com/X3NnD3PgnX
– Alan Sepinwall (@sepinwall) May 13, 2022
After his success at Alcatraz, he continued to star in action comedies such as Southern Comfort (1981), Timerider: The Adventures of Lyle Swan (1982) and Uncommon Valor (1983).
Walter Hill’s Southern Comfort, a scary story about a part-time macho National Guard who faces danger in the Gulf of Louisiana; Timerider: The Adventures of Lyle Swann (1982), where he plays a motocross racer transported to the Old West; and Unusual Valor (1983).
After working in television in the 80’s and 90’s, he got a role with Kevin Bacon in “Trembling” and starred in his sequel “Trembling 2: Secondary Earthquakes”. He also starred in fan favorites such as Exit Speed, The Punisher, Joe Dirt and Sweet Home Alabama.
Randall Tex Cobb, Patrick Swayze, Fred Ward, Reb Brown, Gene Hackman, Tim Thommerson and Harold Sylvester in Extraordinary Valor. Getty Images Fred Ward and his wife Marie-France Ward in 2002 Getty Images Fred Ward and Morgan Freeman at the 2007 premiere of “Feast of Love” WireImage Leslie Nilsson, Kathleen Freeman, Fred Ward and Anna Nicole Smith in Goal 33⅓ Pistol: The Last Insult. ”Paramount Pictures
Ward also starred in the Miami Blues (1990) with co-stars Alec Baldwin and Jennifer Jason Lee, and played Jennifer Lopez’s long-lost father in 2002’s Enough.
His last major role was in two episodes of the hit HBO series The Real Detective.
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