Fred Ward Dies at 79: The Right Stuff and Actor Henry & June Dies After Appearing in Dozens of Hollywood Movies
Hollywood character actor Fred Ward died May 8 at the age of 79, his publicist announced on Friday.
A native of San Diego, he began his career in the 1970s and later starred in many well-known films, including Tremors, Henry & June, Sweet Home Alabama and Enough.
He was best known for playing Gus Grissom in the 1983 US Space Program film The Right Stuff opposite Sam Shepard and Dennis Quaid.
Sad loss: Hollywood character actor Fred Ward died on May 8 at the age of 79, his publicist announced on Friday. Seen in the movie Tremors
Ward died on Sunday, his publicist Ron Hoffman announced this week, and no cause or place of death was given, which was his family’s wish, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Ward, who was part Cherokee, had a background in boxing, which led to him playing the role of a rugged tough guy on the big screen.
His last role was in 2015 as Eddie Velcoro for two episodes of True Detective, starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.