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Fred Ward

Fred Ward

Highest Rated: 97% Escape From Alcatraz (1979)

Lowest Rated: 7% Corky Romano (2001)

Birthday: Dec 30, 1942

Birthplace: San Diego, California, USA

With his varied work experiences, this rough-hewn character lead excels at playing blue collar types and working class heroes. Ward worked in mime and masque theater and performed in cabarets in Europe and Northern Africa before moving to Rome where he translated spaghetti Westerns and appeared in two TV-movies directed by seminal Italian neorealist filmmaker Roberto Rossellini--"The Power of Cosimo" (1974) and "Cartesia" (1975). After some lean times in LA (where he supported himself selling jewelry on the street), Ward made his feature debut as a jailbreak buddy of the even craggier Clint Eastwood in Don Siegel's "Escape From Alcatraz" (1979). Ward's rugged looks worked well in action adventure films: Walter Hill's "Southern Comfort" (1981), a creepy tale of macho part-time National Guardsmen facing peril in the Louisiana bayou; "Timerider: The Adventures of Lyle Swann" (1982), wherein he played a motocross bike racer transported to the Old West; and "Uncommon Valor" (1983), as a member of Gene Hackman's crew of commandos on a rescue mission in Laos. He received positive notices as astronaut Gus Grissom in Philip Kaufman's "The Right Stuff" (1983) and went on to work regularly in films and TV throughout the 80s and 90s. Ward starred in "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins" (1985). Directed by veteran Bond helmer Guy Hamilton ("Goldfinger" 1964), this was a failed but valiant attempt to start an action franchise. He was also Kevin Bacon's partner in "Tremors" (1990), a jaunty 50s-style monster flick. Ward starred in and served as co-executive producer on "Miami Blues" (1990), a cop thriller/black-comedy which featured dynamic performances from co-stars Alec Baldwin and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Ward reteamed with Kaufman to play Henry Miller in the controversial "Henry and June" (1990). He appeared in three ambitious 1992 films: Michael Apted's "Thunderheart"; Robert Altman's "The Player" (as the studio security head); and Tim Robbins' "Bob Roberts" (as a news anchor). Ward also played an underworld kingpin in Alan Rudolph's quirky mystery, "Equinox" (1993). Fred Ward died on May 8, 2022 at the age of 79.

Highest rated movies

97% 84% The Player
97% 85% Escape From Alcatraz
96% 90% The Right Stuff
95% 88% Short Cuts
90% 75% Thunderheart
88% 76% Tremors
87% 42% Swing Shift
86% 75% Farewell

Filmography

Movies

Credit
64% 66% 2 Guns Admiral Tuwey (Character) $75.6M 2013
45% 40% 30 Minutes or Less The Major (Character) $37.1M 2011
86% 75% Farewell Ronald Reagan (Character) - 2009
41% 31% Armored Duncan Ashcroft (Character) $16.0M 2009
No Score Yet 48% The Wild Stallion Frank Mills (Character) - 2009
46% 30% Management Jerry (Character) $933.2K 2008
No Score Yet 29% Exit Speed Sergeant Archie Sparks (Character) - 2008
40% 55% Feast of Love Bat (Character) $3.5M 2007
No Score Yet 21% Coast to Coast Hal Kressler (Character) - 2004
No Score Yet 48% Funky Monkey Don Decker (Character) - 2004
No Score Yet 59% The Last Ride Darryl Kurtz (Character) - 2004
25% 45% Masked and Anonymous Drunk (Character) $533.3K 2003
16% 31% Abandon Lt. Bill Stayton (Character) $10.7M 2002
38% 78% Sweet Home Alabama Earl (Character) $127.2M 2002
22% 67% Enough Jupiter (Character) $39.2M 2002
No Score Yet No Score Yet A.K.A. Birdseye Nolan Sharpless (Character) - 2002
7% 39% Corky Romano Leo Corrigan (Character) $24.0M 2001
8% 41% Summer Catch Sean Dunne (Character) $19.7M 2001
9% 63% Joe Dirt Joe's Dad (Character) $27.1M 2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet Wild Iris Errol Podubney (Character) - 2001
No Score Yet 14% Full Disclosure John McWhirter (Character) - 2001
No Score Yet 33% The Crimson Code Retired FBI agent (Character) - 2000
No Score Yet 21% Chaos Factor Max Camden (Character) - 2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis John Vernon "Black Jack" Bouvier III (Character) - 2000
9% 47% Circus Elmo (Character) $8.4K 2000
18% 43% The Crow: Salvation Police Captain (Character) - 2000
57% 65% Road Trip Earl Edwards (Character) $68.5M 2000
13% 40% Best Men Sheriff Phillips (Character) - 1998
70% 85% Dangerous Beauty Domenico Venier (Character) $4.6M 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet Vivero Letter Andrew Fallon (Character) - 1998
No Score Yet 66% ...First Do No Harm Dave Reimuller (Character) - 1997
64% 46% Tremors II: Aftershocks Earl Bassett (Character) - 1996
18% 27% Chain Reaction FBI Agent Leon Ford (Character) $20.6M 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet Un bruit qui rend fou (The Blue Villa) Unknown (Character) - 1995
58% 53% Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult Rocco Dillon (Character) $48.1M 1994
33% 42% Equinox Mr. Paris (Character) - 1993
95% 88% Short Cuts Stuart Kane (Character) $6.1M 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Luck, Trust and Ketchup: Robert Altman in Carver Country Unknown (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Two Small Bodies Lt. Brann (Character) - 1993
97% 84% The Player Walter Stuckel (Character) $21.7M 1992
90% 75% Thunderheart Jack Milton (Character) $20.1M 1992
No Score Yet 11% Four Eyes and Six-Guns Wyatt Earp (Character) - 1992
No Score Yet 58% Cast a Deadly Spell Det. Harry Philip Lovecraft (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet 17% The Dark Wind Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn (Character) - 1991
88% 76% Tremors Earl Bassett (Character) $15.5M 1990
85% 62% Miami Blues Sgt. Hoke Moseley (Character),
Executive Producer
$8.8M 1990
60% 68% Henry & June Henry Miller (Character) $11.0M 1990
40% 24% Backtrack Pauling (Character) - 1989
14% 55% The Prince of Pennsylvania Gary Marshetta (Character) - 1988
52% 69% Big Business Roone Dimmick (Character) $39.6M 1988
45% 32% Off Limits Dix (Character) $6.9M 1988
No Score Yet No Score Yet Train of Dreams Teacher (Character) - 1987
No Score Yet 12% Florida Straits Lucky Boone (Character) - 1986
41% 59% Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins Remo Williams (Character) $14.4M 1985
33% 65% Secret Admirer Lou Fimple (Character) - 1985
No Score Yet No Score Yet Noon Wine Royal Earle Thompson (Character) - 1985
87% 42% Swing Shift Unknown (Character) - 1984
77% 78% Silkwood Morgan (Character) - 1983
60% 62% Uncommon Valor Wilkes (Character) - 1983
96% 90% The Right Stuff Gus Grissom (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet 44% Time Rider Unknown (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet 28% Timerider Lyle Swann (Character) - 1982
78% 75% Southern Comfort Reece (Character) - 1981
No Score Yet No Score Yet Belle Starr Ned Christie (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet 50% UFOria Sheldon Bart (Character) - 1980
97% 85% Escape From Alcatraz John Anglin (Character) - 1979

TV

Credit
79% 58% True Detective Unknown (Guest Star) 2015
92% 89% Leverage Steve Reynolds (Guest Star) 2012
85% 86% United States of Tara Frank (Guest Star) 2009-2010
No Score Yet No Score Yet In Plain Sight Frank Jergens / Frank Jerome (Guest Star) 2010
No Score Yet 85% ER Eddie Wyczenski (Guest Star) 2006-2007
84% 72% Grey's Anatomy Unknown (Guest Star) 2006
No Score Yet No Score Yet 10.5 Unknown (Character) 2004
57% No Score Yet Gun Unknown (Character) 1997
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Hitchhiker Unknown (Character) 1987
No Score Yet 73% Incredible Hulk Unknown (Guest Star) 1979