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Fred Ward, a renowned Hollywood actor, recently passed away on May 8 at the age of 79. His publicist, Ron Hofmann, refused to identify the cause of death.
He is survived by his son, Django Ward, and his wife of 27 years, Marie-France Ward.
Hofmann stated:
"I am sad to announce the passing of acclaimed actor Fred Ward, who passed away on Sunday, May 8, 2022, at age 79, it was his wish that any memorial tributes be made in the form of donations to the Boston University Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center."
His career spanned more than four decades, beginning in the early 1970s with international films and ending in 2015 with his final appearance in the television series True Detective.
Condolences rush in for the late Fred Ward
Many paid their respects to Ward on social media, recalling his favorite roles.
Rolling Stone editor Alan Sepinwall lamented:
“RIP, Fred , a great character actor whose big shot at leading man status, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, unfortunately flopped, but who kept giving great, live-in performances for the rest of his career.”
Film critic Robert Daniels mourned:
“Fred was absurdly good. A professional in everything he did from TREMORS to THE PLAYER. He could even turn in a great performance is something as patently dumb as JOE DIRT. Totally underrated.”
Fred Ward's extensive career in Hollywood
The actor, who served in the US Air Force for three years, starred in over 70 films and more than a dozen television episodes. He got his first break as Niccolo in the 1973 TV movie The Age Of The Medici. Following that, he appeared on TV shows such as Quincy ME in 1978.
He made his Hollywood debut in the film Hearts of the West, in which he played a cowboy. He had a great hit in 1983 with The Right Stuff, a critically acclaimed sci-fi venture. He starred in Silkwood alongside Meryl Streep in 1983 and Swing Shift with Goldie Hawn in 1984.
He's portrayed astronauts, cowboys, Vietnam war soldiers, a chain-smoking cop-turned-assassin, and a hero battling huge worms, among other roles. He had recently slowed down, with his most prominent role being as Eddie Velcoro in two episodes of True Detective.
He paid $4,000 to option Charles Willeford's 1985 novel Miami Blues, enlisting Jonathan Demme to produce the film and Armitage to write and direct it. For his role in Short Cuts in 1993, Fred Ward earned a Golden Globe and the Venice Film Festival ensemble prize.
