Fred Ward

30 Dec, 1942 | San Diego, California

Actor

Biography

Freddie Joe "Fred" Ward is an American actor. He began his career in 1979 alongside Clint Eastwood in Escape from Alcatraz. Personal life Ward was born Freddie Joe Ward in San Diego, California, of part Cherokee 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) Ward and Peter Coyote both starred in Southern Comfort and Timerider. Both actors played characters called Reese in the two sex scenes