John Heard
Encyclopedia
John Heard, Jr. is an American
actor
well known for his recurring role as Peter McCallister, in the first two installments of the Home Alone
movie series. In 2011 he appeared as Lehman Brothers COO Joe Gregory in Too Big to Fail, an HBO film. He also starred in Big.
, the son of John and Helen Heard. He grew up with two sisters, one of whom, Cordis, is also an actor, and a brother, Matthew, who died in 1975. He attended Gonzaga College High School
, then went on to graduate from Clark University
in Worcester, Massachusetts
.
's The Wager and at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center
in 1977 in a series of new plays. In 1979 he played Arthur Dimmesdale
in a television production of The Scarlet Letter
. Heard won Obie Award
s 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 rereleased as Chilly Scenes of Winter in 1982).
In 1981, he had the starring role of Alex Cutter in the film Cutter's Way
. He played the lover of Nastassja Kinski
, one of the main characters, in the remake of Cat People
. In 1984, he portrayed photographer George Cooper in C.H.U.D.
(Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers) alongside future Home Alone
co-star Daniel Stern
. The Trip to Bountiful
is a 1985 film in which he had a starring role. In Heaven Help Us
(also known as Catholic Boys), John Heard played as a monk named Brother Timothy in the 1985 comedy-drama film.
In 1988 he was seen in the film The Milagro Beanfield War
. Later that year he had a notable role playing Paul, Tom Hanks
's adult corporate competitor and jilted boyfriend of Elizabeth Perkins
, in Big
. He co-starred with Bette Midler
in Beaches
in 1988, and played real-life Ku Klux Klan leader D.C. Stephenson in the TV-miniseries Cross of Fire
in 1989. In 1991 he starred in Deceived
(opposite Goldie Hawn) playing Jack Saunders. He also starred in Gladiator
opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr.
In 1990, Heard starred in the philosophical film Mindwalk
, was featured in the hugely successful comedy Home Alone
(and also starred in its 1992 sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
) and in Awakenings
alongside Robert De Niro
and Robin Williams
. Also in 1992, he played Daugherty in the film Radio Flyer
. In 1993 he played FBI agent Gavin Verheek in The Pelican Brief
. In 1994 he played the part of David Manning in the film 'Out on a Limb', Shirley Maclaine's account of her spiritual journey toward finding herself through the world of reincarnation. He also starred with Samuel L. Jackson
in 1997's One Eight Seven
and was featured in the 2000 miniseries
Perfect Murder, Perfect Town
. He has had roles on The Sopranos
as crooked cop Vin Makazian for which he received an Emmy nomination as outstanding guest actor, and 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
). In 2006, he starred in the independent film Gamers: The Movie
and had a part in the Touchstone Pictures movie, The Guardian. In 2007 he played the sheriff in the Denzel Washington-directed film, The Great Debaters
. On April 23, 2009, he appeared in an episode of Southland
. Recently, Heard was seen on FOX's The Chicago Code for two episodes as the Mayor of Chicago
.
. He has a son named Jack with ex-girlfriend Melissa Leo
. He is divorced from his second wife, Sharon Heard, by whom he has two children, Max and Annika. He married Lana Pritchard on May 24, 2010. They were divorced on December 22, 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
well known for his recurring role as Peter McCallister, in the first two installments of the Home Alone
Home Alone
Home Alone is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. The film stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old boy, who is mistakenly left behind when his family flies to Paris for their Christmas vacation...
movie series. In 2011 he appeared as Lehman Brothers COO Joe Gregory in Too Big to Fail, an HBO film. He also starred in Big.
Early life
Heard was born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the son of John and Helen Heard. He grew up with two sisters, one of whom, Cordis, is also an actor, and a brother, Matthew, who died in 1975. He attended Gonzaga College High School
Gonzaga College High School
Gonzaga College High School is a Jesuit high school for boys located in Washington, D.C. The school is named in honor of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, an Italian saint from the 16th century...
, then went on to graduate from Clark University
Clark University
Clark University is a private research university and liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts.Founded in 1887, it is the oldest educational institution founded as an all-graduate university. Clark now also educates undergraduates...
in Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
.
Acting career
In the 1970s, Heard appeared on the stage, television and film. He appeared off-Broadway in 1974 in Mark MedoffMark Medoff
Mark Medoff is an American playwright, screenwriter, film and theatre director, actor, and professor. His play Children of a Lesser God received both the Tony Award and the Olivier Award...
's The Wager and at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center
Eugene O'Neill Theater Center
The Eugene O'Neill Memorial Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut is a 501 not-for-profit theater company founded in 1964 by George C. White. The O'Neill is the recipient of the . The O'Neill is home to the National Theater Institute , and several major theater conferences including the...
in 1977 in a series of new plays. In 1979 he played Arthur Dimmesdale
Arthur Dimmesdale
Arthur Dimmesdale is a fictional character in the 1850 novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. A Puritan minister, he has fathered an illegitimate child, Pearl, with Hester Prynne and seeks to hide the truth of his relationship with her....
in a television production of The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter (TV miniseries)
The Scarlet Letter is a 1979 miniseries based on the novel of the same name that aired on WGBH from March 3, 1979 to March 24, 1979. The series is four episodes long, 60 minutes each...
. Heard won Obie Award
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City...
s for his performances in Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
and Split in 1979-80. He was the male lead in the 1979 film Head Over Heels (which was renamed and rereleased as Chilly Scenes of Winter in 1982).
In 1981, he had the starring role of Alex Cutter in the film Cutter's Way
Cutter's Way
Cutter's Way is a 1981 thriller directed by Ivan Passer. The film stars Jeff Bridges, John Heard, and Lisa Eichhorn. The screenplay was by Jeffrey Alan Fiskin, based on the novel Cutter and Bone by Newton Thornburg....
. He played the lover of Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Kinski is a German-born American-based actress who has appeared in more than 60 films. Her starring roles include her Golden Globe Award-winning portrayal of the title character in Tess and her roles in two erotic films , as well as parts in Wim Wenders' films The Wrong Move; Paris,...
, one of the main characters, in the remake of Cat People
Cat People (1982 film)
Cat People is a 1982 American erotic horror film directed by Paul Schrader and starring Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell and John Heard. The film co-stars Annette O'Toole, Ruby Dee, Ed Begley, Jr. and John Larroquette. Jerry Bruckheimer served as executive producer...
. In 1984, he portrayed photographer George Cooper in C.H.U.D.
C.H.U.D.
C.H.U.D. is a 1984 American horror film produced by Andrew Bonime, and directed by Douglas Cheek with Peter Stein as the director of photography and William Bilowit as production designer. The cast includes Daniel Stern and John Heard. It was followed in 1989 by C.H.U.D. II: Bud the...
(Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers) alongside future Home Alone
Home Alone
Home Alone is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. The film stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old boy, who is mistakenly left behind when his family flies to Paris for their Christmas vacation...
co-star Daniel Stern
Daniel Stern (actor)
Daniel Jacob Stern is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles in the Hollywood films C.H.U.D., Diner, City Slickers and the first two Home Alone films, and as the narrator for the television series The Wonder Years.-Early life:Stern was born in Bethesda, Maryland to a...
. The Trip to Bountiful
The Trip to Bountiful
The Trip to Bountiful is a 1985 film starring Geraldine Page, John Heard, Carlin Glynn, Richard Bradford and Rebecca De Mornay. Geraldine Page won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Carrie Watts. The movie was adapted by Horton Foote from his television play. The Trip to...
is a 1985 film in which he had a starring role. In Heaven Help Us
Heaven Help Us
Heaven Help Us is a 1985 comedy-drama film.Heaven Help Us may also refer to:*"Heaven Help Us", a song by Cirith Ungol from Paradise Lost*"Heaven Help Us", a song by My Chemical Romance, a B-side of the single "Welcome to the Black Parade"...
(also known as Catholic Boys), John Heard played as a monk named Brother Timothy in the 1985 comedy-drama film.
In 1988 he was seen in the film The Milagro Beanfield War
The Milagro Beanfield War
The Milagro Beanfield War is a 1988 American drama film based on the John Nichols novel of the same name, the first book in a trilogy. It was directed by Robert Redford and the screenplay was written by Nichols and David S. Ward...
. Later that year he had a notable role playing Paul, Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
's adult corporate competitor and jilted boyfriend of Elizabeth Perkins
Elizabeth Perkins
Elizabeth Ann Perkins is an American actress. Her film roles have included Big, The Flintstones, Miracle on 34th Street, About Last Night..., and Avalon...
, in Big
Big
Big is a 1988 romantic comedy film directed by Penny Marshall and stars Tom Hanks as Josh Baskin, a young boy who makes a wish "to be big" to a magical fortune-telling machine and is then aged to adulthood overnight...
. He co-starred with Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
in Beaches
Beaches (film)
Beaches , is a 1988 American comedy-drama film adapted by Mary Agnes Donoghue from the Iris Rainer Dart novel of the same name...
in 1988, and played real-life Ku Klux Klan leader D.C. Stephenson in the TV-miniseries Cross of Fire
Cross of Fire
Cross of Fire was an American 1989 television miniseries based on the horrific rape and murder of Madge Oberholtzer by D. C. Stephenson, a highly successful leader of the Indiana branch of Ku Klux Klan. It starred John Heard as Stephenson and Mel Harris as Oberholtzer. Lloyd Bridges was also in...
in 1989. In 1991 he starred in Deceived
Deceived
Deceived is a 1991 American thriller film starring Goldie Hawn and John Heard.-Plot:Adrienne Sauders is happily married to her art dealer husband, Jack . They have one child together. Adrienne hears from a friend that she thought she saw Jack in town when he claimed to be on an out of town...
(opposite Goldie Hawn) playing Jack Saunders. He also starred in Gladiator
Gladiator (1992 film)
Gladiator is a 1992 sport film, directed by Rowdy Herrington, and starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., James Marshall, Brian Dennehy, and Robert Loggia. The film tells the story of two teenagers trapped in the world of illegal underground boxing. One is fighting to pay off gambling debts accumulated by his...
opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Cuba M. Gooding, Jr. is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his Academy Award-winning portrayal of Rod Tidwell in Cameron Crowe's 1996 film Jerry Maguire, and his critically acclaimed performance as Tré Styles in John Singleton's 1991 film Boyz n the Hood.-Early life:Gooding was born...
In 1990, Heard starred in the philosophical film Mindwalk
Mindwalk
Mindwalk is a 1990 feature film directed by Bernt Amadeus Capra, based on his own short story, based in turn on the book The Turning Point by his brother Fritjof Capra, the author of the book The Tao of Physics....
, was featured in the hugely successful comedy Home Alone
Home Alone
Home Alone is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. The film stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old boy, who is mistakenly left behind when his family flies to Paris for their Christmas vacation...
(and also starred in its 1992 sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is a 1992 American Christmas comedy film written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus. It is the second film in the Home Alone series and the direct sequel to Home Alone. The film stars Macaulay Culkin in the lead role as Kevin McCallister, while...
) and in Awakenings
Awakenings
Awakenings is a 1990 American drama film based on Oliver Sacks's 1973 memoir Awakenings. It tells the true story of British neurologist Oliver Sacks, fictionalized as American Malcolm Sayer and portrayed by Robin Williams who, in 1969, discovers beneficial effects of the then-new drug L-Dopa...
alongside Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
and Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
. Also in 1992, he played Daugherty in the film Radio Flyer
Radio Flyer (film)
Radio Flyer is a 1992 drama-fantasy film from Columbia Pictures. It is a Stonebridge Entertainment Production in association with Donner/Shuler-Donner Productions ....
. In 1993 he played FBI agent Gavin Verheek in The Pelican Brief
The Pelican Brief (film)
The Pelican Brief is a 1993 legal crime thriller based on the novel of the same name by John Grisham. Directed by Alan J. Pakula, the film stars Julia Roberts in the role of young law student Darby Shaw and Denzel Washington as Washington Herald reporter Gray Grantham...
. In 1994 he played the part of David Manning in the film 'Out on a Limb', Shirley Maclaine's account of her spiritual journey toward finding herself through the world of reincarnation. He also starred with Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
in 1997's One Eight Seven
One Eight Seven
Music from the Motion Picture 187 is the soundtrack to the 1997 film, One Eight Seven. It was released on July 29, 1997 through Atlantic Records and unlike films like Dangerous Minds and The Substitute that dealt with similar subject matter, this soundtrack did not receive an Urban music...
and was featured in the 2000 miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Perfect Murder, Perfect Town
Perfect Murder, Perfect Town
Perfect Murder, Perfect Town is a 2000 American television miniseries directed by Lawrence Schiller. The teleplay by Tom Topor is based on Schiller's book of the same title....
. He has had roles on The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
as crooked cop Vin Makazian for which he received an Emmy nomination as outstanding guest actor, and on Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
as Commander Barry Garner
Barry Garner
Barry Garner is a fictional character from the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series played by John Heard.Commander Garner became commanding officer of the Battlestar Pegasus following the deaths of Admiral Helena Cain and Commander Jack Fisk...
.
He had recurring roles on CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
(as Kenwall Duquesne, father of Calleigh Duquesne
Calleigh Duquesne
Detective Calleigh Duquesne is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Miami, portrayed by Emily Procter.- Background :Calleigh is a ballistics specialist originally from Louisiana. She is fluent in Spanish and has a bachelor's degree in physics from Tulane University...
) and Prison Break
Prison Break
Prison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
(as Frank Tancredi, Governor of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and father of Sara Tancredi
Sara Tancredi
Dr. Sara Tancredi is a fictional character from the American television series, Prison Break. She is played by Sarah Wayne Callies. Her role in the first season of the series is a prison doctor.- Background :...
). In 2006, he starred in the independent film Gamers: The Movie
Gamers: The Movie
Gamers: The Movie is an independent 2006 mockumentary film written, directed and produced by Chris Folino. The film follows four friends who, saddled with "four of the worst jobs known to man", attempt to set the world record for playing Demons, Nymphs, and Dragons , a Dungeons & Dragons-like...
and had a part in the Touchstone Pictures movie, The Guardian. In 2007 he played the sheriff in the Denzel Washington-directed film, The Great Debaters
The Great Debaters
The Great Debaters is a 2007 American biopic period drama film directed by and starring two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington and produced by Oprah Winfrey and her production company, Harpo Productions...
. On April 23, 2009, he appeared in an episode of Southland
Southland (TV series)
Southland is an American drama series created by writer Ann Biderman and produced by Warner Bros. Television. It premiered on NBC on April 9, 2009...
. Recently, Heard was seen on FOX's The Chicago Code for two episodes as the Mayor of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Personal life
Heard was married for six days to actress Margot KidderMargot Kidder
Margaret Ruth "Margot" Kidder is a Canadian-born American actress. She is perhaps best known for playing Lois Lane in the four Superman movies opposite Christopher Reeve, a role that brought her to widespread recognition....
. He has a son named Jack with ex-girlfriend Melissa Leo
Melissa Leo
Melissa Chessington Leo , is an American actress. After appearing on several television shows and films in the late '80s, her breakthrough role came in 1993 as Det. Sgt. Kay Howard on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street for the show's first five seasons from 1993 – 1997...
. He is divorced from his second wife, Sharon Heard, by whom he has two children, Max and Annika. He married Lana Pritchard on May 24, 2010. They were divorced on December 22, 2010.