Fred Ward

Freddie Joe Ward (December 30, 1942 – May 8, 2022) was an American character actor. Starting with a role in an Italian television movie in 1973, he appeared in such diverse films as Escape from Alcatraz, The Right Stuff (1983), Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985), Tremors (1990) and Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1996), Miami Blues (1990), The Player (1992), Short Cuts (1993), Road Trip (2000), and 30 Minutes or Less (2011).

Early life Freddie Joe Ward was born in San Diego on December 30, 1942. Before acting, Ward served three years in the United States Air Force, broke his nose three times as a boxer, and worked as a lumberjack in Alaska, a janitor, and a short-order cook. He studied acting at New York's Herbert Berghof Studio and while living in Rome, he dubbed Italian movies into English and appeared in films by neorealist director Roberto Rossellini.

Career

1970s Ward became an actor after studying at Herbert Berghof Studio and in Rome. While in Italy, he worked as a mime. Upon returning stateside in the early 1970s, Ward spent time working in experimental theatre and doing some television work. He made his first American film appearance playing a cowboy in Hearts of the West (1975). His first major role came in the Clint Eastwood vehicle Escape from Alcatraz (1979) as fellow escapee John Anglin.

1980s Ward played a violent National Guardsman in Walter Hill's Southern Comfort (1981). His first starring role in a motion picture was Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann (1982). He then starred as astronaut Gus Grissom in The Right Stuff, in the action movie Uncommon Valor with Gene Hackman, and in the drama Silkwood (all 1983).

After co-starring roles in Swing Shift (1984) and Secret Admirer (1985), Ward played the title hero in the action movie Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, which was directed by Guy Hamilton. The film was supposed to be the first of a series based on The Destroyer series of novels. Though the movie was well promoted and he appeared on several movie magazine covers, it only grossed $15 million.

Ward played in a few low-budget productions until he returned to major cinema in 1988 as a cop in Off Limits, as Roone Dimmick in Big Business, and the father of Keanu Reeves' character in The Prince of Pennsylvania.

1990s In 1990, Ward starred as Earl Bassett in the monster movie Tremors, as the American erotic writer Henry Miller in Henry & June (with Uma Thurman), and as cop Hoke Moseley in his self-produced Miami Blues (with Alec Baldwin and Jennifer Jason Leigh). That year he also played an FBI agent in Dennis Hopper's film Catchfire.

After playing private detective H.P. Lovecraft in the 1991 HBO film Cast a Deadly Spell alongside Julianne Moore, Ward co-starred in the thriller Thunderheart, the Hollywood satire The Player, the mystery-drama Equinox and the TV western-comedy Four Eyes and Six Guns, for which he won a Cable ACE Award. He also did a cameo in Bob Roberts, starring Tim Robbins.

Ward's leading roles include Lt. Brann in the two-character-thriller Two Small Bodies, fisherman Stuart Kane in the Robert Altman film Short Cuts (for which the whole ensemble won a Golden Globe; both 1993), a dangerous criminal in the comedy Naked Gun : The Final Insult (1994), the sailor in the French-avant-garde-drama The Blue Villa (1995), his reprised role in Tremors II: Aftershocks and the special agent in Chain Reaction (both 1996). He also appeared as Sheriff Bud Phillips in Best Men, as Dave Reimüller in ...First Do No Harm with Meryl Streep (both 1997) and as Domenico Venier in Dangerous Beauty (1998).

2000s Ward was seen in many motion pictures, TV shows and videos in 2000. He starred in the action-thriller The Chaos Factor and appeared in the gangster movie Circus, the teen movie Road Trip and the horror sequel The Crow: Salvation.

In 2001, Ward was nominated for a Video Premiere Award as the best male actor for the direct-to-video-production Full Disclosure. He also co-starred in Joe Dirt, Summer Catch, Wild Iris, the mini-TV-series Dice and the comedic Corky Romano.

In 2002, Ward appeared in Sweet Home Alabama, Enough and Abandon. He had the starring role in Birdseye and signed in for the TV pilot for the drama Georgetown with Helen Mirren, but the series was never made. After roles in The Last Ride, 10.5 and Coast to Coast (all 2004) he took a short break from acting and returned as a guest in the TV series Grey's Anatomy and ER (2006 and 2007). He was next in the ensemble drama Feast of Love, the thriller Exit Speed, Management with Jennifer Aniston, The Wild Stallion DVD and as the boss Ashcroft in Armored.

Ward guest starred as Ronald Reagan in the French political thriller L'affaire Farewell (2009). He appeared in 30 Minutes or Less, guest starred in the TV series United States of Tara, In Plain Sight and Leverage in 2012. In 2013, he had a guest role in 2 Guns starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg.

Personal life and death Ward had one son, Django Ward, a singer and guitarist, from a marriage to Silvia Ward. He married Marie-France Boisselle in 1995, and lived with her in Los Angeles. They both filed for divorce in August 2013, before reconciling later that year. Ward died on May 8, 2022, at the age of 79.

Awards 1993: Special Volpi Cup – Short Cuts 1993: Golden Globe Special Ensemble Cast Award – Short Cuts 1994: CableACE Award – Four Eyes and Six Guns 2001: Video Premiere Award – Full Disclosure

Filmography Year Film Role Notes1974 Ginger in the Morning Truck Driver 1975 Hearts of the West Sam Uncredited 1979 Escape from Alcatraz John Anglin Tilt Lenny 1980 Carny Jack Cardiac Arrest Jamie 1981 Southern Comfort Corporal Lonnie Reece 1982 Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann Lyle Swann 1983 Silkwood Morgan Uncommon Valor Wilkes The Right Stuff Gus Grissom 1984 Swing Shift Archibald 'Biscuits' Toue 1985 Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins Officer Samuel Edward 'Sam' Makin / CURE Agent Remo Williams Secret Admirer Lou Fimple UFOria Sheldon Bart 1987 The Price of Life Crouch Short feature 1988 Catchfire Pauling The Prince of Pennsylvania Gary Marshetta Big Business Roone Dimmick Off Limits Dix 1990 Henry & June Henry Miller Also soundtrack Miami Blues Sergeant Hoke Moseley Also producer Tremors Earl Bassett 1991 The Dark Wind Joe Leaphorn 1992 The Player Walter Stuckel Equinox Mr. Paris Thunderheart Jack Milton Bob Roberts Chip Daley 1993 Short Cuts Stuart Kane Two Small Bodies Lieutenant Brann Festival event 1994 Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult Rocco Dillon 1995 The Blue Villa (Un bruit qui rend fou) Frank Festival event 1996 Chain Reaction FBI Agent Leon Ford Tremors 2: Aftershocks Earl Bassett Direct-to-video1997 Best Men Sheriff Phillips 1998 The Vivero Letter Andrew Fallon Dangerous Beauty Domenico Venier 1999 The Crimson Code Randall Brooks 2000 The Crow: Salvation Captain John L. Book Ropewalk Charlie's Dad The Chaos Factor Max Camden Circus Elmo Somerset Road Trip Earl Edwards 2001 Summer Catch Sean Dunne Corky Romano Leo Corrigan Joe Dirt Cody Nunamaker Full Disclosure John McWhirter 2002 Enough Jupiter Sweet Home Alabama Earl Smooter Birdseye Nolan Sharpless Abandon Lieutenant Bill Stayton 2003 Masked and Anonymous Drunk 2004 Funky Monkey Don Decker 2007 Feast of Love 'Bat' 2008 Management Jerry Exit Speed Sergeant Archie Sparks 2009 Armored Duncan Ashcroft Farewell (L'affaire Farewell) Ronald Reagan The Wild Stallion Frank Mills 2011 30 Minutes or Less The Major 2013 2 Guns U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Tuwey

Television