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‘Home Alone’ Star John Heard Dies at 72 Years Old
John Heard, the actor best known for his role as father Peter McAllister in the beloved 1990 film Home Alone, has passed away at 72 years old. He was found dead on Friday, July 21 after what is speculated to be complications from a recent surgery.
The actor's body was found in a hotel in Palo Alto by a maid, a family source revealed to TMZ. Police arrived at the hotel shortly after receiving a medical emergency call and John was pronounced dead at the scene.
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His death is currently under investigation, the County of Santa Clara coroner's office confirmed to Us Weekly. Although it is unclear what could have caused his death, his family's rep told TMZ that John had just undergone "minor back surgery" on Wednesday, just two days before his death. After he was released from his surgery at the Standford Medical Clinic, he was staying at a hotel in nearby Palo Alto to recuperate.
John landed his first movie role in 1975, and his career really kicked off in the 1980s. He starred alongside the iconic Tom Hanks in the 1988 film Big and the legendary Bette Midler in the 1988 classic Beaches. But it was his role as the loving father of Kevin McAllister (played by Macaulay Culkin) in the 1990 film Home Alone and the 1992 sequel Home Alone: Lost in New York that really made him stand out as a star.
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He went on to earn roles on TV as well, with parts in the long-running Law and Order franchise, Battlestar Galactica, Prison Break: Ressurection, Southland, CSI and NCIS, but he revamped his career with his role in the acclaimed HBO series The Sopranos. John played New Jersey police detective Vin Makazian who would leak information to the show's lead character, Tony Soprano (played by James Gandolfini).
