R.I.P. John Heard

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Big Magilla
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Re: R.I.P. John Heard

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Re: R.I.P. John Heard

Post by Snick's Guy »

He was a very effective supporting player in The Trip to Bountiful and the tv mini series Out On A Limb
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Re: R.I.P. John Heard

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I find it depressing -- if no doubt accurate -- that he'll be most remembered for the Home Alone series, because I remember him as the up-and-coming leading man of Between the Lines and Head over Heels/Chilly Scenes of Winter.

I'd always heard hm referred to as a troubled/difficult guy, so a (relatively) early death is not a complete shocker. As dws notes, he just did an amazing amount of work: huge number of credits on IMDB. And I almost always liked his work.

Although...Cutter's Way was actually a hipster favorite for which I never cared. But that's a subject for another day.
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Re: R.I.P. John Heard

Post by danfrank »

I know he just died, but keeping it real: an actor friend of mine was cast in a play with Heard in Los Angeles, maybe about 10-12 years ago. My friend dropped out of the play because he found Heard impossible to work with. He said he was monstrously egotistical, insecure, and abusively mean. That, along with his outlandish behavior around the custody his child with Melissa Leo, makes me think he must have been a pretty disturbed guy. As an actor, I thought he was pretty solid.
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Re: R.I.P. John Heard

Post by Precious Doll »

I can't believe this. The great John Hurt no more. Thank goodness will still have his films like Cutter's Way, Heart Beat, Chilly Scenes of Winter, (aka Head Over Heels). His non nomination for Best Actor playing Alex Cutter in Cutter's Way would have been fully deserving of an Oscar nomination.
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Re: R.I.P. John Heard

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His best film was 1981's Cutter's Way in which he played the title role opposite Jeff Bridges and Lisa Eichhorn. It was both his and Eichhorn's best performance and one of Bridges' best as well.
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Re: R.I.P. John Heard

Post by dws1982 »

Like Landau (only with less acclaim), Heard was a true work-horse. He made a lot of crap, but Home Alone guaranteed him a permanent spot in the public consciousness. I guess my favorite of his performances that I've seen was in a small indie film from about ten years ago called Steel City...the movie is probably hard to find now, but it's worth a look. He made my supporting actor shortlist that year.
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R.I.P. John Heard

Post by dws1982 »

John Heard, ‘Home Alone’ Dad, Dies at 72

John Heard, best known as Peter McAllister in the “Home Alone” movies who appeared in a wide range of TV and film roles, has died at 72 in Palo Alto, Calif.

He was found dead in a hotel where he was recovering after undergoing back surgery. The Santa Clara Medical Examiner’s office confirmed his death.

He also appeared in “Cat People,” “After Hours,” “Big,” “Beaches,” “Gladiator,” and on TV in “Miami Vice” and “The Sopranos,” for which he won an Emmy nomination.
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