To the many griefs that this year have affected the world of cinema is added Fred Ward, a great and likeable character actor who lived his best period in the nineties. He was gone forever at 79 on May 8, but the news was released only today.
In a year that has counted many of the actors we love most of mourning, he has also gone Fred Ward, one of the most significant faces of American cinema of the Eighties, linked to mythical films or films that have become cult in any case. With his ex-boxer’s face (he had broken his nose three times in combat) and his massive, woodcutter-like physique (another job he’d done, before making his way to the movies), Ward was one of those character actors who, if necessary, they are able to be excellent protagonists. We are sorry to know that he has left us: his death dates back to May 8, but only today, Friday 13, the news was spread, confirmed by his agent of him to Variety and promptly reported by all the media. We want to remember how the career of the interpreter of Tremors, Real men And America todayamong his many films.
Fred Ward’s career
Californian, born in San Diego, in the early days of Fred Ward not much is known, but according to what is out there, after serving in military aviation, boxing and occasional professions, he studied acting in New York and later in Rome. Curiously, he had made his first appearances on Italian TV, even if his roles are not known: in 1973 in an episode of The age of Cosimo de Medici and the following year in Cartesiusboth directed by nothing less than by Roberto Rossellini (if you want to try to recognize it, Cartesius can be found on youtube). It seems that in Rome he also dubbed Italian films in English. But it is in America that in 1979 he played his first major film, Escape from Alcatraz, where he is one of the two brothers who, with the inmate played by Clint Eastwood, attempt an impossible escape from The Rock, the escape prison. His performance was immediately noticed and praised by the critics of the time. In 1981 he is one of the interpreters of the excellent The warriors of the silent swamp from Walter Hillbut two years later comes one of his best roles: in Real mendirected by Philip Kaufman, is the hapless astronaut Gus Grissom, a part he plays very convincingly. Kaufman, who understands his potential as a “serious” actor, will call him back for Henry & Junewhere is the writer Henry Miller, engaged in a love triangle with his wife June and writer Anais Nin.
Among his films of the early eighties also Silkwood, Brothers in the nightan action drama by Ted Kotcheff in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, Swing time from Jonathan Demme. In 1985 she is the star of My name is Remo Williams, a film that would like to launch it as an action star but that does not achieve the hoped-for success. He also appears in Saigon from Christopher Crowe, Hours counted from Dennis Hopper And Miami Bluesbut the film that makes it dear to younger viewers is Tremorsin which next to a young man Kevin Bacon defends a town from gigantic underground worms. A fiasco at the box office, rewarded by the home video and the affection of the public, which makes it a small cult, with 6 sequels – none of which played by him – and a television derivation. In 1992 he worked for the first time with Robert Altman neither The protagonistswhose leading man, Tim Robbinyes, he then wants it in his directorial debut, Bob Roberts. Three years later he was again directed by Altman in the choir America today. Among his films of the period also Days of thunder, A blunt 33 and 1/3 bullet, where the bomber Rocco is, his only role in a decidedly comedic film. He also works in France with Alain Robbe Grillet in A bruit qui rend fou. In the 2000s we remember him in comedy All Crazy For Love – Sweet Home Alabamain various episodes of tv series including ER – Doctors on the front line, Grey’s Anatomy, United States of Tara and in True Detective in 2015 in what remains his last appearance, the father of the character of Colin Farrell, Eddie Velcoro.
TO Fred Ward survive his wife and child, who have asked to make donations in his memory to the Center for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University.
