Fred Ward

Fred Ward
Playing rock paper scissors in Tremors (1990)
Born
Freddie Joe Ward

(1942-12-30)December 30, 1942
DiedMay 8, 2022(2022-05-08) (aged 79)
San Diego, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1973–2015
Spouse(s)
Carla Evonne Stewart
(m. 1965; div. 1966)

Silvia Ward
(divorced)
Marie-France Ward
(m. 1995)
Children1

Freddie Joe Ward (December 30, 1942 – May 8, 2022) was an American character actor from San Diego. Starting with a role in an Italian television movie in 1973, he appeared in such diverse films as Escape from Alcatraz, Southern Comfort, The Right Stuff, Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, Tremors and Tremors 2: Aftershocks, Henry & June, The Player, Swing Shift, Short Cuts, and 30 Minutes or Less.

Early life

Freddie Joe Ward was born in San Diego on December 30, 1942. He was part Cherokee. His father was an alcoholic criminal who was repeatedly imprisoned and his mother left him when Fred was three. He was then raised by his grandmother until his mother had rebuilt her life and remarried a carnival worker. Before acting, Ward spent three years in the United States Air Force. He was also a boxer (breaking his nose three times) and worked as a lumberjack in Alaska, a janitor, and a short-order cook. He studied acting at New York's Herbert Berghof Studio after serving in the U.S. Air Force. 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 33+13: 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

Ward married Marie-France Boisselle in 1995. They resided in San Diego and had a son, Django Ward, an American singer and guitarist in the French four-member band Biper Swing.

Ward and his wife Marie-France both filed for divorce in August 2013, but they reconciled later that year.

Death

Ward died from Alzheimer's disease at his home in San Diego on May 8, 2022 at the age of 79.

Awards

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
1973 The Age of the Medici (L'età di Cosimo de Medici) Niccolò de' Conti Episode: "The Power of Cosimo" ("Il potere di Cosimo")
1974 Cartesius Unknown TV movie
Ginger in the Morning Truck Driver
1975 Hearts of the West Sam Uncredited
1978 Quincy, M.E. Hostage Taker Episode: "Even Odds" (uncredited)
1979 Escape from Alcatraz John Anglin
The Incredible Hulk Lynch's Henchman / Marvin Episodes: "The Disciple" / "Jake"
Tilt Lenny
1980 Carny Jack
Cardiac Arrest Jamie
Belle Starr Ned Christie TV Movie
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
American Playhouse Royal Earle Thompson / Mr. Crouch Episodes: "Noon Wine" / "Triple Play II"
Secret Admirer Lou Fimple
UFOria Sheldon Bart
1986 Florida Straits 'Lucky' Boone TV movie
1987 The Price of Life Crouch Short feature
The Hitchhiker Luther Redmond Episode: "Dead Heat"
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 Cast a Deadly Spell Detective Harry Philip Lovecraft TV movie
The Dark Wind Joe Leaphorn
1992 Four Eyes and Six-Guns Wyatt Earp TV movie
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 33+13: 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-video
1997 ...First Do No Harm Dave Reimuller TV movie
Best Men Sheriff Phillips
Gun John Farragut Episode: "Father John"
1998 The Vivero Letter Andrew Fallon
Invasion: Earth Major General David Reece TV miniseries
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
Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis John 'Black Jack' Bouvier III TV movie
2001 Summer Catch Sean Dunne
Corky Romano Leo Corrigan
Joe Dirt Cody Nunamaker
Full Disclosure John McWhirter
Wild Iris Errol Podubney TV movie
Dice Gacy / Noah Aldis TV miniseries
2002 Enough Jupiter
Sweet Home Alabama Earl Smooter
Birdseye Nolan Sharpless
Abandon Lieutenant Bill Stayton
2003 Masked and Anonymous Drunk
Coast to Coast Hal Kressler TV movie
2004 The Last Ride Darryl Kurtz TV movie
10.5 Roy Nolan, FEMA Director TV miniseries
Funky Monkey Don Decker
2006 ER Eddie Wyczenski 3 episodes
Grey's Anatomy Denny Duquette Sr. Episode: "What I Am"
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
United States of Tara Frank Episodes: "Transition" / "From This Day Forward"
2010 In Plain Sight Frank Jergens / Frank Jerome Episode: "No Clemency for Old Men"
2011 30 Minutes or Less The Major
2012 Leverage Steve Reynolds Episode: "The D.B. Cooper Job"
2013 2 Guns U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Tuwey
2015 True Detective Eddie Velcoro Episodes: "Maybe Tomorrow" / "Omega Station"

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