Actor Fred Ward dies. He had the right stuff in movies from 'Tremors' to 'The Player'
Source: NPR
Actor Fred Ward has died, according to his publicist, Ron Hofmann.
The star, who brought gentlemanly gruffness to films that included The Right Stuff, Tremors, Henry and June and The Player died Sunday, May 8 at the age of 79. No cause of death was given.
Ward brought reservoirs of tenderness to his tough guy roles, and plenty of street credibility. A former boxer, lumberjack and short-order cook who served in the U.S. Air Force, Ward went to acting school and got his start when he moved to Rome as a young man and worked as a mime, then a voice-over actor. That led to a few appearances in TV productions by Italian neorealist pioneer Roberto Rossellini, and then Hollywood. Ward made his U.S. movie debut as a convict in the Clint Eastwood movie Escape from Alcatraz in 1979.
"The unique thing about Fred Ward is that you never knew where he was going to pop up, so unpredictable were his career choices," Hofmann wrote in an email. "He could play such diverse characters as Remo Williams, a cop trained by Chiun, Master of Sinanju (Joel Grey) to become an unstoppable assassin in Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, or Earl Bass, who, alongside Kevin Bacon, battle giant, worm-like monsters hungry for human flesh in 'cult' horror/comedy film, Tremors (1990), or a detective in the indie film Two Small Bodies (1993) directed by underground filmmaker Beth B., or a terrorist planning to blow up the Academy Awards in The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994), or the father of the lead character in Jennifer Lopez's revenge thriller Enough (2002)."
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2022/05/13/1098760992/actor-fred-ward-dies
Most people knew him best from Tremors, but his role as Gus Grissom in The Right Stuff was top notch excellent acting.
Portrayed Grissom as an almost tragic, anguished character whose flight--sandwiched between Alan Shepard and John Glenn's--suffered from lack of fanfare that was given to the others, and the sinking of his capsule at splashdown (which ultimately was determined not to have been his fault) cast a further shadow over the mission.
There's a scene between Grissom and his wife back at the hotel after his flight where he breaks down because people are unjustly blaming him for the loss of the capsule that always gets me every time. You can't help but feel for Grissom, and Fred Ward really nailed it.
Can't find that scene, but here's the splashdown scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?vJZvXdQxzLwg
RIP to a talented actor.
obamanut2012
(26,069 posts)Midnight Writer
(21,753 posts)As I understand it, Remo Williams was supposed to be the launch of a big budget film franchise along the lines of the James Bond films, but after the first film tanked at the box office, no further films were produced.
Tremors was my favorite of his. A small, sleeper film that did very well and is still watched a lot today.
Ray Bruns
(4,093 posts)bedazzled
(1,761 posts)Can't figure why it tanked
OldBaldy1701E
(5,126 posts)I always felt that there were plenty of problems with that movie, but Fred Ward was NOT one of them.
John1956PA
(2,654 posts)A movie which tests the viewer's tolerance to graphically portrayed crime.
OldBaldy1701E
(5,126 posts)Of course, it kind of typecast Jennifer Jason Leigh for a bit there, because she was good in that film. And Alec was very creepy.
ellie
(6,929 posts)He shared a birthday with my mom. RIP Fred.
Ohio Joe
(21,755 posts)Very sad... RIP
Baitball Blogger
(46,703 posts)Both so lanky they could have switched corduroys.
MuseRider
(34,108 posts)This is sad to see. I always enjoyed him.
Cracklin Charlie
(12,904 posts)I thought he was a good actor.
RIP
Paladin
(28,254 posts)keopeli
(3,514 posts)efhmc
(14,725 posts)ZonkerHarris
(24,223 posts)C Moon
(12,213 posts)Aristus
(66,328 posts)Character actors have to take gigs when they get them. But I always thought his skills were wasted in the teen sex comedy "Secret Admirer".
His performance as Gus Grissom is one for the ages. I'm glad "The Right Stuff" ended before depicting the Apollo 1 fire. Fred Ward would have broken every heart in the audience with Grissom's tragic death.
Tommy Carcetti
(43,181 posts)It's possible Grissom might have been the first man on the moon if he hadn't died.
Aristus
(66,328 posts)I'm in the strange position of being Southern born-and-raised, but finding a lot of Southern accents grating. This is not true of Levon Helm, who did the narration, and played Yeager's friend Ridley. I just love his Arkansas accent. Helm brought so much warmth and good cheer to the film.
Tommy Carcetti
(43,181 posts)The acting, the music, the cinematography especially, as well as the fine balance between drama and humor--it just pulls it off so magnificently.
bedazzled
(1,761 posts)He was a major talent
kairos12
(12,859 posts)xocetaceans
(3,871 posts)gay texan
(2,442 posts)"Remo Williams" is one of my alltime faves!
BootinUp
(47,144 posts)betsuni
(25,489 posts)BootinUp
(47,144 posts)Cross gently.