Respected character actor John Heard has died of undisclosed causes in California at the age of 72. Best known as the harried father in the first two Home Alone films, Heard enjoyed a career that found him steadily working in various films and on television. He was featured in a number of other popular projects over the decades, most notably Big, Sharknado, and, in a 1999 guest performance that earned him an Emmy nomination, The Sopranos. Heard was one of those actors who wasn’t a household name, but everybody recognized his face. He also gave 100% in every role regardless of the quality of the material, often times elevating the work in the process (i.e. 1984’sC.H.U.D., a schlock classic). It has been said so often whenever great talent leaves us that it’s almost a cliche, but the body of work Heard leaves behind — and the way his roles touched people’s lives — truly will resonate with audiences forever.
