Kevin Bacon Pays Tribute To 'Tremors' Costar Fred Ward

Actor Fred Ward passed away at the age of 79. He was best known for his roles in “Tremors” opposite Kevin Bacon. He also starred in “Short Cuts.”

A representative for the late actor did not disclose a cause of death to the New York Post in a short statement regarding his passing.

“I am sad to announce the passing of acclaimed actor Fred Ward, who passed away on Sunday, May 8, 2022, at age 79,” the statement read. “The Golden Globe winner, actor, and producer, is best known for ‘The Right Stuff,’ ‘Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins,’ ‘Tremors,’ ‘Miami Blues,’ ‘Henry & June,’ ‘The Player,’ and ‘Short Cuts.'”

On Friday, Bacon tweeted, “So sad to hear about Fred Ward. When it came to battling underground worms, I couldn’t have asked for a better partner. I will always remember chatting about his love of Django Reinhardt and jazz guitar during our long, hot days in the high desert. Rest In Peace, Fred.”

The two starred in the 1990 film “Tremors” that’s become a cult classic over the years. The film tells the story of two handymen who decided to leave the town of Perfection, Nevada, when they find their friend's body in the desert. The two realize that they need to team up with the local residents to kill the underground creatures and save the town.

The film spawned a direct sequel and several spin-offs starring Michael Gross as Burt Gummer. Last May, Bacon had told Esquire that “Tremors” was the only film that he was ever interested in making a sequel to.

“It was one film of mine that I wanted to revisit that character,” he said. “I don’t look back at all.”

Although the spokesperson did not disclose a cause of death, they did pass along Ward’s final wishes.

“It was Fred Ward’s wish that any memorial tributes be made in the form of donations to the Boston University Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center. Please visit https://bit.ly/BUSMCTE or contact 617-358-9535 for more information.”

Encephalopathy is a broad medical term that refers to damage or disease that affects the brain.

The spokesperson also revealed that Ward spent the final years of his life painting. He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Marie-France Ward, and his son, Django Ward.

Rolling Stone editor Alan Sepinwall tweeted, "RIP, Fred Ward, a great character actor whose big shot at leading man status, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, unfortunately flopped, but who kept giving great, lived-in performances for the rest of his career."

Film critic Robert Daniels tweeted, "Fred Ward was absurdly good. A professional in everything he did from TREMORS to THE PLAYER. He could even turn in a great performance is something as patently dumb as JOE DIRT. Totally underrated."

Writer and director Josh Raby tweeted, "The thing about Fred Ward is he had that thing where he felt like a real guy you knew, while also feeling like absolutely no one else."

The Fangoria studio and magazine tweeted, "Rest in peace to the legendary Fred Ward. Genre fans know him from films such as TREMORS, CAST A DEADLY SPELL, and SOUTHERN COMFORT, but his career spanned dozens of films and shows, and he made everything he was in better with his presence."