John Heard, who is best known for his role in the Home Alone movies, was found dead last month in a Palo Alto, California hotel. Though the cause of death was not immediately known, authorities confirmed Tuesday that Heard had died after suffering a heart attack brought on by heart disease.
The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner’s Office said an autopsy revealed the 72-year-old actor experienced a "sudden cardiac death due to atheroscerotic and hypertensive heart disease." Authorities told TMZ Heard underwent minor back surgery two days before his body was found; however, they insist the procedure did not play a role in his death.
The toxicology report has not been made public.
Heard began acting in the mid-1970s, and went on to land roles in films like Big, Gladiator, and White Chicks, as well as series such as Entourage, The Sopranos, and Prison Break. His most famous role, however, was as Peter McCallister, the father to Macaulay Culkin‘s Kevin in Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
