John Heard (actor)

2.1. Early Career and Stage Work

Heard began his professional acting career in the 1970s, making a notable impact in theater. In 1974, he appeared off-Broadway in Mark Medoff's play The Wager. The following year, he played Guildenstern in Hamlet at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park, where he also served as an understudy for Sam Waterston in the title role. The production later transferred to the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center. In 1977, Heard participated in a series of new plays at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. His stage performances earned him two Obie Awards for Best Performance: one in 1976-77 for G.R. Point, and another in 1979-80 for his roles in Othello and Split. During his time in theater, he developed a close friendship with actor Richard Dreyfuss.

2.2. Film Career

Heard transitioned into film in the late 1970s, making his debut in the ensemble film Between the Lines (1977). His early film roles often showcased his ability to portray eccentric characters, as seen in his first starring role in Chilly Scenes of Winter (1979, originally titled Head Over Heels) and his critically acclaimed performance as Alex Cutter in Cutter's Way (1981). Critics like Richard Schickel in Time and David Ansen in Newsweek praised his work in Cutter's Way, with Ansen noting that Heard delivered his "best film performance" under director Ivan Passer's sensitive guidance, portraying a character who was "funny and abrasive and mad, but you see the self-awareness eating him up inside."

Heard continued to build a diverse filmography, appearing as the lover of Nastassja Kinski's character in the remake of Cat People (1982). He co-starred as photographer George Cooper in C.H.U.D. (1984) alongside future Home Alone co-star Daniel Stern. Other notable roles from the 1980s include Brother Timothy in the comedy-drama Heaven Help Us (1985), bartender Tom Schorr in Martin Scorsese's After Hours (1985), and Ludie Watts in The Trip to Bountiful (1985).

The late 1980s and early 1990s saw Heard in a series of significant supporting roles. In 1988 alone, he appeared as Charlie Bloom in The Milagro Beanfield War, the Reverend in The Seventh Sign, Paul Davenport (the adult corporate competitor to Tom Hanks's character) in the hit film Big, FBI Agent Mike Carnes in Betrayed, and John Pierce, co-starring with Bette Midler, in Beaches. In 1990, he starred in the philosophical film Mindwalk, played Dr. Kaufman alongside Robert De Niro and Robin Williams in Awakenings, and appeared as Dean in The End of Innocence. He also starred with Goldie Hawn as Jack Saunders in Deceived (1991) and had a supporting role as John Riley in Gladiator (1992).

Further film credits include Officer Jim Daugherty in Radio Flyer (1992), Gavin Verheek in The Pelican Brief (1993), Dave Childress in One Eight Seven (1997), Gilbert Powell in Snake Eyes (1998), James Decker in Animal Factory (2000), Tony Smith in Pollock (2000), Dean Bob Brable in O (2001), and Warren Vandergeld in the comedy White Chicks (2004). He continued to work prolifically in the 2000s and 2010s, appearing in films such as Edison (2005), The Guardian (2006), The Great Debaters (2007), and providing the voice of Ace Morgan in the animated film Justice League: The New Frontier (2008). His later film appearances include Formosa Betrayed (2009), Assault on Wall Street (2013), Runner Runner (2013), and The Tale (2018), which was released posthumously.

2.3. Television Career

Heard also had an extensive career in television, appearing in numerous series and miniseries. In 1979, he featured in a television production of The Scarlet Letter as Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. He portrayed real-life Ku Klux Klan leader D. C. Stephenson in the 1989 TV miniseries Cross of Fire and played David Manning in the ABC miniseries adaptation of Shirley MacLaine's memoir Out on a Limb.

From 1995 to 1996, Heard played the role of District Attorney Roy "Reverend Roy" Foltrigg in the television series The Client, appearing in 21 episodes. One of his most acclaimed television roles was as the troubled and corrupt detective Vin Makazian on The Sopranos (1999-2004), for which he received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 1999. He later appeared as Commander Barry Garner in an episode of Battlestar Galactica in 2006.

Heard held recurring roles on several popular crime dramas, including Kenwall Duquesne (father of Calleigh Duquesne) in four episodes of CSI: Miami (2003-2005) and Governor Frank Tancredi (father of Sara Tancredi) in ten episodes of Prison Break (2005-2006). In 2011, he played Mayor McGuinness in two episodes of the Fox series The Chicago Code. His television appearances also include guest roles on Miami Vice, Law & Order, The Outer Limits, Perfect Murder, Perfect Town, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Touched by an Angel, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Hack, Monday Night Mayhem, The Pilot's Wife, Word of Honor, Jack & Bobby, Numb3rs, Locusts, Cavemen, Entourage, My Own Worst Enemy, The Beast, Southland, Gravity, Too Big to Fail, Perception, Adam DeVine's House Party, Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories, Sharknado, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Modern Family, Person of Interest, Mistresses, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles, The Murder Pact, Elementary, MacGyver, APB, and Outsiders.

7.1. Film

7.2. Television