Fred Ward

Ward in Miami Blues (1990)

Frederick Ward (born December 30, 1942) is an American actor born in San Diego, California. He is of Scottish-Irish and Native American descent.

Biography

He then went to Europe, where he dubbed Italian movies, and appeared in two movies by director Roberto Rossellini.

He then returned to the United States getting his first big film break alongside Clint Eastwood in Escape from Alcatraz (1979). He was also notable as a violent National Guardsman in Walter Hill's Southern Comfort (1981).

Other notable film roles include astronaut Gus Grissom in The Right Stuff (1983), the overbearing father in Secret Admirer (1985), the title role in the action movie Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (his breaktrough role in America) (1985), the writer Henry Miller in Philip Kaufman's Henry & June (1990), and the covert security chief in Robert Altman's Hollywood satire The Player.

He gained many fans in Tremors (1989) (his worldwide breakthrough).

Before acting Ward spent three years in the United States Air Force. He was also a boxer, and worked as a lumberjack in Alaska.