This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Fred Ward. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Tremors Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License. |
Fred (Earl) was born in San Diego and attended high school in Texas. After graduation, he joined the Air Force, and at the age of 21 decided to become an actor. He studied at the Herbert Berghof Acting Studio in New York and then moved to San Francisco where he appeared in such theatre productions as "Inacoma" and "Angel City."
In 1979, Ward played his first major screen role as Clint Eastwood's jailbreak partner in "Escape From Alcatraz." Since then, he has appeared in the films "The Right Stuff," "Silkwood," "Uncommon Valor," " Swing Shift" and "Secret Admirer," before landing his first starring role as Remo Williams in "Remo: The Adventure Begins."
Ward's other motion picture credits include "Prince of Pennsylvania," "Southern Comfort," "Off Limits," "Big Business," "Carney," "Cardiac Arrest," "Time Rider," two Roberto Rossellini films ("The Power of Cosimo" and "Cartesia"), "Uforia," "Backtrack" and most recently "Miami Blues," (Orion Pictures) which he co-produced. Ward is also starring in the upcoming film "Henry and June," directed by Philip Kaufman.
Freddie Joe "Fred" Ward (born December 30, 1942) is an American actor. He began his career in 1979 alongside Clint Eastwood in Escape from Alcatraz. He is best known for his starring roles in the motion pictures Remo Williams, Tremors, Henry & June, Short Cuts and Exit Speed. Ward also acted in European movies.
Personal life[]
Ward was born Freddie Joe Ward in San Diego, California, of part Cherokee Native American descent. Before acting, Ward spent three years in the United States Air Force. He was also a boxer, and worked as a lumberjack in Alaska. Ward is divorced from Silvia Ward and is currently married to Marie-France Ward.
Career[]
Ward became an actor after studying at Herbert Berghof Studio and in Rome. While in Italy, he dubbed Italian movies and worked as a mime until he made his debut in two Roberto Rossellini films. Upon returning stateside in the early 1970s, Ward spent time working in experimental theater and doing some television work. He made his first American film appearance playing a cowboy in Hearts of the West (1975). His first major role came in the Clint Eastwood vehicle Escape from Alcatraz (1979) as fellow escapee John Anglin. He was also notable as a violent National Guardsman in Walter Hill's Southern Comfort (1981).
Other notable film roles include Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann (1982) (written by Michael Nesmith of The Monkees fame and with whom Ward shares the same birthdate), astronaut Gus Grissom in The Right Stuff (1983), the overbearing father in Secret Admirer (1985), the character Remo Williams in the action movie Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985), Earl Bassett in Tremors (1990), American writer Henry Miller in Henry & June, Walter Stuckel in The Player (1992), Earl Edwards in Road Trip and Ronald Reagan in the 2009 French film L'affaire Farewell.
Ward and Peter Coyote both starred in Southern Comfort and Timerider.
Awards[]
- 1993: Volpi Cup – Short Cuts
- 1993: Golden Globe – Short Cuts
- 2001: Video Premiere Award – Full Disclosure (Nomination)
- 2006: JTPC Award – Henry & June (Nomination?)
Filmography[]
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1973 | The Power of Cosimo (L'età di Cosimo de Medici) | Niccolò de Conti | TV |
1974 | Cartesius | TV | |
1975 | Hearts of the West | Sam | |
1978 | Tilt | ||
Quincy M.E.: Even Odds | Crane | TV Episode | |
1979 | Escape from Alcatraz | John Anglin | 1 |
The Incredible Hulk | Henchman/Marvin | 2 TV Episodes | |
1980 | UFOria | Waylon Jennings Imitator, Sheldon Bart | |
Carny | Jack | ||
Cardiac Arrest | Jamie | ||
Belle Starr | Ned Christie | TV | |
1981 | Southern Comfort | Cpl. Lonnie Reece | |
1982 | Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann | Lyle Swan | |
1983 | Silkwood | Morgan | 1 |
Uncommon Valor | Wilkes | 5 | |
The Right Stuff | Capt. Virgil Ivan Gus Grissom | 6 | |
1984 | Swing Shift | Archibald "Biscuits" Toue | 9 |
1985 | Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins | Remo Williams, Samuel Edward Macon | 4 |
Secret Admirer | Lt. Lou Fimple | 9 | |
Noon Wine | Royal Earle Thompson | TV | |
1986 | Florida Straits | Lucky Boone | TV, Later Cinema |
1987 | The Price of Life | Short feature | |
The Hitchhiker: Dead Heat | Luther Redmond | TV Episode | |
1988 | Catchfire | Police Officer Pauling | |
The Prince of Pennsylvania | Gary Marshetta | ||
Big Business | Roone Dimmick | 3 | |
Off Limits | Sgt. Benjamin Dix | 4 | |
1990 | Henry & June | Henry Miller, Soundtrack | 10 |
Miami Blues | Sgt. Hoke Moseley, Producer | ||
Tremors | Earl Bassett | 5 | |
1991 | Cast a Deadly Spell | Det. Harry Phillips Lovecraft | TV Event |
The Dark Wind | Joe Leaphorn | ||
1992 | Four Eyes and Six Guns | Wyatt Earp | TV |
The Player | Walter Stuckel | 4 | |
Equinox | Mr. Paris | ||
Thunderheart | Jack Milton | 5 | |
Bob Roberts | TV News Anchor Chip Daley | ||
1993 | Luck, Trust & Ketchup | Himself | Documentary |
Short Cuts | Stuart Kane | ||
Two Small Bodies | Lieutenant Brann | Festival event, also TV production | |
1994 | Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult | Rocco Dillon | 1 |
1995 | Un bruit qui rend fou | Frank, the sailor | Festival event |
1996 | The West | Himself (voice) | Documentary |
Chain Reaction | FBI Agent Leon Ford | 4 | |
Tremors 2: Aftershocks | Earl Bassett | Direct-to-video | |
1997 | …First Do No Harm | Dave Reimüller | TV Event |
Best Men | Sheriff Bud Phillips | ||
Gun (TV Series): Father John | John Farragut | TV Episode | |
1998 | The Making of Tremors | Himself/Earl Bassett (Archive Footage) | Documentary |
The Vivero Letter | Andrew Fallon | ||
Invasion: Earth (TV series) | Major General David Reece | TV-Mini-Series | |
Dangerous Beauty | Domenico Venier | 16 | |
1999 | The Crimson Code | Randall Brooks | |
2000 | The Crow: Salvation | John, the Police Captain | |
Ropewalk | David's Father | ||
The Chaos Factor | Max Camden | ||
Circus | Elmo Somerset | 96 | |
Road Trip | Earl Edwards | 3 | |
Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis | "Black Jack" Bouvier | TV | |
2001 | Summer Catch | Sean Dunne | 6 |
Corky Romano | Leo Corrigan | 3 | |
Joe Dirt | Joe's Dad | 4 | |
Full Disclosure | John McWhirter | Direct-to-video | |
Wild Iris | Errol Podubney | TV Event | |
Dice | Gacy/Noah Aldis | TV-Mini-Series | |
2002 | Live from Baghdad | (Archive Footage) | TV Special/Documentary |
Enough | Jupiter | 5 | |
Sweet Home Alabama | Earl Smooter | 1 | |
A.K.A. Birdseye | Sheriff Nolan Sharpless | ||
Abandon | Lieutenant Bill Stayton | 7 | |
2003 | Masked & Anonymous | Drunk | 45 |
T-20 Years and Counting | Gus Grissom/Himself (Archive Footage) | Documentary | |
Realizing "The Right Stuff" | Himself | Documentary | |
"Masked & Anonymous" Exposed | Special Thanks | Documentary | |
2004 | The Last Ride | Darryl Kurtz | TV Event |
10.5 | Roy Nolan | TV Event | |
Coast to Coast | Hal Kressler | TV Event | |
2006 | ER | Eddie | TV Series |
Grey's Anatomy: What I am | Mr. Denny Duquette, Sr. | TV Episode | |
2007 | Feast of Love | Bat | |
The Wild Stallion | Frank Mills | ||
2008 | Management | Jerry | |
Exit Speed | Sergeant Archie Sparks | ||
2009 | Armored | Ashcroft | |
L'affaire Farewell | Ronald Reagan | ||
2010 | In Plain Sight | Frank Jerome | Episode 3.6 |