John Heard (actor)

Early life and education

John Heard Jr. was born on March 7, 1946, in Washington, D.C. a son of Helen ( Sperling), who was involved in the arts and appeared in community theatre, and John Heard, who worked for the office of the Secretary of Defense. He was raised as a Roman Catholic, and attended Gonzaga College High School, Clark University (in Worcester, Massachusetts), and Catholic University of America. He grew up with two sisters, Lise and Cordis (an actress), and a brother, Matthew Heard, who predeceased his mother and father.

Career

In the 1970s, Heard appeared on the stage and in television and film. He appeared off-Broadway in 1974 in Mark Medoff's play The Wager and in 1975 as Guildenstern in Hamlet at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park, where he also understudied Sam Waterston as Hamlet. That fall, the production moved to the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center. Heard appeared at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in 1977 in a series of new plays. Heard won Obie Awards for his performances in Othello and Split in 1979–80. He was the male lead in the 1979 film Head Over Heels (which was renamed and re-released as Chilly Scenes of Winter in 1982).

In 1980, Heard was in the film Heart Beat. In 1981, he had the starring role of Alex Cutter in the film Cutter's Way. Richard Schickel in Time, David Ansen in Newsweek, and New York City's weekly newspapers would write glowing reviews. Ansen wrote, "Under Passer's sensitive direction, Heard gives his best film performance: he's funny and abrasive and mad, but you see the self-awareness eating him up inside.". In 1982, he played the lover of Nastassja Kinski, one of the main characters, in the remake of Cat People. He co-starred as photographer George Cooper in C.H.U.D. (Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers, 1984) alongside future Home Alone co-star Daniel Stern and in The Trip to Bountiful (1985). In the comedy-drama film Heaven Help Us (aka, Catholic Boys, 1985), Heard played a monk named Brother Timothy. In After Hours (also 1985), Heard was bartender Tom Schorr.

He was seen in the film The Milagro Beanfield War and had a significant role playing Paul, Tom Hanks's adult corporate competitor and jilted boyfriend of Elizabeth Perkins, in Big (both 1988). He co-starred with Bette Midler in Beaches (also 1988). In 1990 Heard starred in the philosophical film Mindwalk, in which three characters from different sociopolitical and cultural backgrounds express their opinions on the human experience, and around the same time, he was in Awakenings alongside Robert De Niro and Robin Williams, and The End of Innocence with Dyan Cannon. He starred in Deceived (1991), with Goldie Hawn, playing Jack Saunders, and had a supporting role in Gladiator (1992), with Cuba Gooding Jr.

He played Daugherty in the film Radio Flyer (1992) and FBI agent Gavin Vereek in The Pelican Brief (1993). He starred with Samuel L. Jackson in 1997's One Eight Seven and was featured in the 2000 miniseries Perfect Murder, Perfect Town. He also appeared in the 2004 comedy film White Chicks.

''Home Alone'' and sequel

In 1990, Heard starred as Peter McCallister in the comedy Home Alone. He played the part of a father who unwittingly leaves his son Kevin (played by Macaulay Culkin) at home when making a Christmas trip to France. Heard chose to characterize the role with a combination of concerned dramatic acting of a father missing his son along with more classical comedic tropes. The film was one of the biggest hits of 1990, and he reprised his role in the sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

Television

Heard featured in a television production of The Scarlet Letter (1979) as Arthur Dimmesdale. He played real-life Ku Klux Klan leader D. C. Stephenson in the television miniseries Cross of Fire (1989) and the role of David Manning in the ABC miniseries adaptation of Shirley MacLaine's Out on a Limb, a memoir of her journey toward acceptance of spiritual and extraterrestrial realities. From 1995 to 1996, he played the role of Roy Foltrigg in the television series The Client. Heard also had roles on The Sopranos as the troubled corrupt detective Vin Makazian for which he received an Emmy nomination as outstanding guest actor, and later on Battlestar Galactica as Commander Barry Garner.

He had recurring roles on CSI: Miami (as Kenwall Duquesne, father of Calleigh Duquesne) and Prison Break (as Frank Tancredi, governor of Illinois and father of Sara Tancredi). Among other film and television roles in the 2000s and 2010s, he played the mayor of Chicago on two episodes of the Fox series The Chicago Code.

Legacy

In 2008, Heard was asked about his career and he replied,

Personal life

Heard married actress Margot Kidder in 1979, but the marriage was dissolved after only six days.

In 1987, he had a son with actress and former girlfriend Melissa Leo. Heard was arrested in 1991 and charged with third-degree assault for slapping Leo. In 1997, he was found guilty of trespassing at Leo's home but was acquitted of charges of trespassing at their son's school.

By his marriage to Sharon Heard, he had two children, a son and a daughter. Their son died on December 6, 2016, aged 22.

On May 24, 2010, Heard married Lana Pritchard in Los Angeles. The couple divorced seven months later.

Death

Heard died from cardiac arrest due to atherosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease on July 21, 2017, at the age of 71. He was found dead by staff in a hotel in Palo Alto, California, where he was reportedly recovering from minor back surgery which he had just undergone at Stanford University Hospital. The back surgery did not play a role in his death. His cause of death was confirmed by the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner's office. He was buried in South Side Cemetery in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

Awards and honors

Source unless otherwise noted:

• 1977 Theatre World Award for his performance in G.R. Point
• 1976–77 Obie Award, Best Performance, G.R. Point
• 1979–80 Obie Award, Best Performance, Othello and Split
• 1999 Emmy Award nomination, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (1999)

In 2003, he was inducted into the Gonzaga College High School Theatre Hall of Fame.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

References

1. Correal, Annie. (July 22, 2017). "John Heard, the Frazzled Father in 'Home Alone,' Dies at 71". [[The New York Times]].
2. "John Heard Biography".
3. (July 23, 2017). "John Heard, actor who played an absent-minded father in 'Home Alone,' dies at 71". [[The Washington Post]].
4. "Helen Heard Obituary (2015)". [[The Washington Post]].
5. (April 4, 2015). "John Heard on The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, The Sopranos, Sharknado, and more".
6. (July 22, 2017). "Actor John Heard, who played dad in "Home Alone" movies, dies at 72". [[The Bridgetown Museum and New Jersey Advocate.
7. (February 27, 2008). "411 Movies Interview: John Heard".
8. Roberts, Chris. (April 9, 2005). "No Kidding". [[The Guardian]].
9. (March 20, 1997). "Heard Pleads Not Guilty to Harassing Ex-Girlfriend". [[Spartanburg Herald-Journal]].
10. (November 6, 1991). "'Home Alone' Actor Arrested". [[The Buffalo News]].
11. Tan, Cheryl L.. (March 21, 1997). "'Home Alone' actor Heard found guilty of trespassing". [[The Baltimore Sun]].
12. (2017-07-24). "Home Alone star found dead in hotel room six months after estranged son's death".
13. (June 14, 2010). "Pritchard-Heard". [[The Monterey County Herald]].
14. (August 16, 2017). "'Home Alone' Dad John Heard Died of Cardiac Arrest".
15. (July 23, 2017). "John Heard dead at 71; Home Alone actor death not considered suspicious, says police official". [[The Financial Express (India).
16. Saperstein, Pat. (July 22, 2017). "John Heard, 'Home Alone' Dad, Dies at 72".
17. Willingham, AJ. (July 22, 2017). "'Home Alone' actor John Heard dies".
18. (July 22, 2017). "John Heard: Home Alone actor dies aged 71".
19. Glenza, Jessica. (July 22, 2017). "John Heard, star of Home Alone, Cutter's Way and The Sopranos, dies at 71". [[The Guardian]].
20. Scheck, Frank. (September 12, 2019). "'Imprisoned': Film Review".