John Heard found dead: Home Alone actor dies aged 72

John Heard, the actor best known for his role as the father in the Home Alone movies, has died aged 72.

Heard was found dead on Friday in his hotel room in Palo Alto, California, celebrity news website TMZ reported.

He had been staying at the hotel after “minor back surgery” this week and the cause of his death is unknown.

The Santa Clara medical examiner’s office confirmed his death.

Heard’s most memorable role was as Peter McCallister, the father in the Home Alone films, which he played in the 90s.

His acting career began in the 1970s, when he appeared on stage, on television and in film.

He was once nominated for an Emmy Award for guest starring in the television series The Sopranos and played leading roles in Cutter’s Way and Gladiator, opposite Cuba Gooding Jr.

Heard was married to Margot Kidder, the actress who played Lois Lane in the Christopher Reeve Superman films, for just six days in 1979.

He had a son, Jack, with the actress Melissa Leo and two other children, a son and a daughter, in a later marriage.