Actor Fred Ward, of ‘Tremors,’ ‘The Right Stuff’ fame, dies

By MARK KENNEDY
AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Fred Ward, a veteran actor who brought a gruff tenderness to tough-guy roles in “The Right Stuff,” “The Player” and “Tremors,” has died. He was 79. His publicist Ron Hofmann said Friday that Ward died Sunday. No cause or place of death was disclosed per the family’s wishes. Ward earned a Golden Globe and shared the Venice Film Festival ensemble prize for his performance in Robert Altman’s “Short Cuts,” and played the title character in “Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins.” The San Diego native also reached new heights playing Mercury 7 astronaut Virgil “Gus” Grissom in 1983′s Academy Award-nominated film “The Right Stuff.”