Fred Ward
Known for
Fred Ward, born in San Diego in 1942, was an American actor with a working-class solidity that made him a reliable leading man of the eighties and nineties. He earned a Golden Globe for playing astronaut Gus Grissom in Philip Kaufman’s The Right Stuff (1983) and became a genre favourite as Earl Bassett in Tremors (1990) and its first sequel Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1996). Robert Altman used him in Short Cuts (1993), and Philip Kaufman cast him as Henry Miller in Henry & June (1990). Ward, who died in 2022, brought a lived-in dryness that anchored films from science fiction to serious drama.
Fred Ward
57 Movies
11 Series
Fred Ward, born in San Diego in 1942, was an American actor with a working-class solidity that made him a reliable leading man of the eighties and nineties. He earned a Golden Globe for playing astronaut Gus Grissom in Philip Kaufman’s The Right Stuff (1983) and became a genre favourite as Earl Bassett in Tremors (1990) and its first sequel Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1996). Robert Altman used him in Short Cuts (1993), and Philip Kaufman cast him as Henry Miller in Henry & June (1990). Ward, who died in 2022, brought a lived-in dryness that anchored films from science fiction to serious drama.
Movies
Plays Admiral Tuwey
2 Guns
2013
Plays Earl Bassett
Tremors
1990
Plays Rocco
Die nackte Kanone 33⅓
1994
Plays Earl Edwards
Road Trip
2000
Plays John Anglin
Escape from Alcatraz
1979
Plays Earl Smooter
Sweet Home Alabama
2002
Plays Earl Bassett
Tremors 2: Aftershocks
1996
Plays Joe's Dad
Joe Dirt
2001
Plays Henry Miller
Henry & June
1990
Plays FBI Agent Leon Ford
Chain Reaction
1996
Plays Walter Stuckel
The Player
1992
Plays Gus Grissom
The Right Stuff
1983
Plays Jupiter
Enough
2002
Plays Domenico Venier
Dangerous Beauty
1998
Plays The Major
30 Minutes or Less
2011
Plays The Captain
The Crow: Salvation
2000
Plays Stuart Kane
Short Cuts
1993
Plays Lou Fimple
Secret Admirer
1985
Plays Jack Milton
Thunderheart
1992
Plays Wilkes
Uncommon Valor
1983
Plays Sean Dunne
Summer Catch
2001
Plays Morgan
Silkwood
1983
Plays Frank
The Wild Stallion
2009
Plays Duncan Ashcroft
Armored
2009
Plays Remo Williams
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins
1985
Plays Pauling
Catchfire
1990
Plays Bat
Feast of Love
2007
Plays Dix
Off Limits
1988
Plays Reece
Southern Comfort
1981
Plays Leo Corrigan
Corky Romano
2001
Plays Roone Dimmick
Big Business
1988
Plays Bill Stayton
Abandon
2002
Plays Jerry
Management
2009
Producer
Plays Sergeant Hoke Moseley
Miami Blues
1990
Plays Drunk
Masked and Anonymous
2003
Plays Biscuits Toohey
Swing Shift
1984
Plays Don Decker (scenes deleted)
Funky Monkey
2004
Plays Chip Daley
Bob Roberts
1992
Plays Sheldon Bart
UFOria
1984
Plays Ronald Reagan
Farewell
2009
Plays Gary Marshetta
The Prince of Pennsylvania
1988
Plays Sheriff Phillips
Best Men
1997
Plays Sgt. Archie Sparks
Exit Speed
2008
Plays Lyle Swann
Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann
1982
Plays Elmo
Circus
2000
Plays Mr. Paris
Equinox
1992
Plays Andrew Fallon
The Vivero Letter
2000
Plays Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn
The Dark Wind
1992
Plays Truck Driver
Ginger in the Morning
1974
Plays Jamie
Cardiac Arrest
1980
TV Shows
Plays Gacy/Noah Aldis
Dice
2001
Plays Maj. Gen. David Reece
Invasion: Earth
1998
Plays Eddie Wyczenski
ER
1994
Plays Eddie Velcoro
True Detective
2014
Plays Roy Nolan
10.5
2004
Plays John Vernon 'Black Jack' Bouvier III
Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
2000
Plays Luthor Redmond
The Hitchhiker
1983
Plays Denny Duquette, Sr.
Grey's Anatomy
2005
Plays Lynch's Henchman
The Incredible Hulk
1977
Plays Frank Jergens / Frank Jerome
In Plain Sight
2008
Plays Royal Earle Thompson
American Playhouse
1982
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
2 Guns
Full Filmography
True Detective
Eddie Velcoro · 2 episodes
2015
TV
2 Guns
Admiral Tuwey
2013
Film
30 Minutes or Less
The Major
2011
Film
In Plain Sight
Frank Jergens / Frank Jerome · 1 episode
2010
TV
Armored
Duncan Ashcroft
2009
Film
The Wild Stallion
Frank
2009
Film
Farewell
Ronald Reagan
2009
Film
Management
Jerry
2009
Film
Exit Speed
Sgt. Archie Sparks
2008
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fred Ward still alive?
Fred Ward passed away on May 8, 2022 at age 79.
What are the most famous roles of Fred Ward?
Fred Ward is best known for roles in 2 Guns, Tremors, Escape from Alcatraz.
How many movies has Fred Ward been in?
Over a 48-year career (since 1974), Fred Ward has appeared in 57 movies and 11 TV shows.
What was Fred Ward's first movie?
The career of Fred Ward began with Ginger in the Morning (1974).
What is Fred Ward's most recent movie or series?
Fred Ward's most recent release is True Detective, which premiered on January 12, 2014.
What TV shows has Fred Ward appeared in?
On television, Fred Ward has appeared in Grey's Anatomy, True Detective, ER, The Incredible Hulk.
Fred Ward
1942-12-30 · San Diego, California, USA
Freddie Joe Ward (December 30, 1942 – May 8, 2022) was an American actor. He began his career in 1979 alongside Clint Eastwood in Escape from Alcatraz. He was best known for his starring roles in the films Remo Williams, Tremors, Henry & June, Short Cuts, The Right Stuff, and Exit Speed. Ward also acted in several European movies.