Category: TV

John Aylward, a character actor who is best known for his roles on The West Wing and ER, died on May 16th at the age of 75.  No cause of death was given.

John Aylward graduated from the University of Washington’s Professional Actor’s Training Program in 1970.  The biggest majority of his career until the mid-1980s when he started getting roles on television and in movies.  For the rest of his career Mr. Aylward alternated between feature films and television.  His best known roles were as Dr. Donald Anspaugh on 74 episodes of ER and The West Wing where he played former DNC Chair, Barry Goodwin.  Other notable television appearances include the series: Ally McBeal, The X-Files, The Practice, Law & Order, Boston Legal, Alias, The Mentalist,  CSI, Mad Men, Fringe, American Horror Story, Yellowstone and Briarpatch.  Some of Mr. Aylward’s feature film appearances include: Armageddon, The Crazies, Water for Elephants, Gangster Squad and The Way Back.

John Aylward was a character actor that would have found work in any era.  Like most character actors, you might not recognize his name, but you knew his face.  You also knew that John Aylward’s appearance in any movie or television show meant it was going to get a little better because he was in it.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to John Aylward’s family, friends and fans.

Fred Ward’s publicist announced today that Mr. Ward died on Sunday, May 8, 2022, at the age of 79.  No cause of death was given.  

Before Fred Ward began his career as an actor he spent time in the Air Force, as a boxer and a lumberjack!  No wonder Mr. Ward was often cast as a tough guy!  Fred Ward’s earliest roles were small parts, often uncredited in movies and television.  His first big break came when he played one of the convicts who with Clint Eastwood was able to Escape from Alcatraz.  

Fred Ward continued to get bigger parts in features such as Southern Comfort, The Right Stuff, Silkwood and Uncommon Valor.  Then in 1985, Fred Ward starred in the film that was supposed to make him a megastar, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins.  Unfortunately, the film fizzled at the box office.  The adventure began and ended there.  Luckily for movie-goers, Fred Ward’s career didn’t.

For the rest of Fred Ward’s life he continued to alternate between television and feature films.  Some of his best known television parts came in Cast a Deadly Spell, Invasion Earth, Grey’s Anatomy, ER and True Detective.  Fred Ward’s best known feature films include Tremors, Miami Blues, Henry & June, Thunderheart, The Player, Tremors II: Aftershock and 2 Guns.

I first saw Fred Ward in Escape from Alcatraz.  But it was when he appeared in Carny, Southern Comfort and Uncommon Valor that I really took notice.  Mr. Ward had a tough guy charisma and I was pulling for him with Remo Williams.  Sadly, that film just didn’t work. But Fred Ward continued to  Whenever Fred Ward’s name was in the credits, you knew the film/show would be better because of him.  Although Andrew Vachss’ Burke character was never developed for movies or tv, I always thought that Fred Ward would have perfect.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Fred Ward’s family, friends and fans.