‘TREMORS’, ‘REMO WILLIAMS’ ACTOR FRED WARD DIES AT 79

Fred Ward with Kevin Bacon in TREMORS (1990). Credit: Universal Pictures.

Actor Fred Ward, who brought his own brand of gentlemanly grumpiness to such films as TREMORS, REMO WILLIAMS, and HENRY & JUNE, has passed away, according to his publicist Ron Hufman.

The actor, with more than 80 acting credits to his name, including SILKWOOD, THE RIGHT STUFF, MIAMI BLUES, and UNCOMMON VALOR died Sunday, May 8 at the age of 79. No cause of death was given, however donations in his memory can be made to the Boston University Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center.

Ward brought a unique blend of street cred and likeability to his tough guy roles, influenced by his early days as a lumberjack, a boxer, and a short-order cook in the U.S. Air Force. Ward went on to acting school and got his break working in Rome, first as a street mime, and then as a voice-over actor, which led to appearances in several television productions by noted Italian film director, Roberto Rossellini.

He made his U.S. movie debut in Clint Eastwood’s ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ in 1979, which led to a string of notable movie roles, including Remo Williams, a cop trained to become an unstoppable assassin in REMO WILLIAMS: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS, and Earl Bass, alongside Kevin Bacon, in the horror-comedy, TREMORS. Ward also played a terrorist planning to blow up the Academy Awards in NAKED GUN 33 ⅓: THE FINAL INSULT, and appeared in film such as BOB ROBERTS, THE CROW: SALVATION, SWEET HOME ALABAMA, CHAIN REACTION, and SHORT CUTS.

Ward is survived by his wife of 27 years, Marie-France Ward, and his son, Django, named for Belgian jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt.

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