Rip John Heard - Home Alone

John Heard, the actor who portrayed Kevin McAllister's father in a pair of Home Alone films, has died at the age of 72.

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The Santa Clara Medical Examiner?s office confirmed Heard's death, Variety reports. TMZ adds that the actor was found dead in his Palo Alto, California hotel room, just days after Heard underwent minor back surgery, his rep said.

An Obie Award-winning actor before he came to Hollywood, Heard broke out in the late Seventies thanks to his role in Chilly Scenes of Winter, which was followed by starring roles in 1980's Heart Beat, where he portrayed Jack Kerouac, and 1981's Cutter's Way, with Heard delivering a remarkable turn as a conspiracy-minded Vietnam vet. Essentially ignored upon release, the film has since earned a reputation as a forgotten classic.

John Heard, 'Home Alone' Actor, Dead at 72 - Rolling Stone