Veteran character actor Fred Ward, who is perhaps best known for his role in the film “Tremors,” has passed away at the age of 79…
Veteran character actor Fred Ward has died at the age of 79.
The news was confirmed by Ward’s publicist Ron Hofmann, who said that the actor died this past Sunday. No cause of death was listed.
Born in San Diego, Ward didn’t get into acting until after he served in the United States Air Force where he also got into boxing. He eventually attended acting school in New York after his military service was completed and his first break into show business came through voice acting while dubbing English over Italian made films.
He continued acting across film and television before eventually landing notable roles in films such as “Silkwood” and “The Right Stuff,” where he played astronaut Gus Grissom.
Of course one of Ward’s most memorable roles came in 1990 when he starred opposite Kevin Bacon in the science-fiction/horror film “Tremors,” which has remained a cult classic for many years. Ward returned to star in the sequel “Tremors 2” but this time Bacon was not his co-star.
Bacon paid tribute to Ward on Twitter following news of his death.
So sad to hear about Fred Ward. When it came to battling underground worms I couldn’t have asked for a better partner. I will always remember chatting about his love of Django Reinhardt and jazz guitar during our long hot days in the high desert. Rest In Peace Fred. pic.twitter.com/WLOB0iVwkd
— Kevin Bacon (@kevinbacon) May 13, 2022
Ward also made appearances in notable comedies such as “Road Trip” and Joe Dirt” while continuing to work on television with one of his final roles taking place in “True Detective” season 2.
Ward is survived by his wife and son, Django.
