The late actor John Heard Jr. plays the dad, Peter McCallister, in Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992).
At the age of 71, Heard passed away on July 21, 2017, from cardiac arrest brought on by atherosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease. He was recovering from minor back surgery that he had recently had at Stanford University Hospital when he was discovered by personnel in a hotel in Palo Alto, California. His death was not related to the back surgery. The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner's Office verified his cause of death. He was laid to rest in Ipswich, Massachusetts's South Side Cemetery.
Who plays the dad in Home Alone?
The late actor John Heard played Peter McCallister, Kevin’s father, in Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone: Lost in New York (1992). John Heard Jr. was an American actor who made his debut appearance in film with the ensemble Between the Lines (1977). He appeared in several successful films, including Heart Beat (1980), Cutter's Way (1981), Cat People (1982), Beaches (1988), and Deceived (1991). His guest-starring role as Vin Makazian on The Sopranos (1999–2004) earned him an Emmy Award nomination in 1999.
Heard was born in Washington, D.C., on March 7, 1946. His parents were John Heard, who worked in the Secretary of Defense's office, and Helen (née Sperling), who was active in the arts and performed in community theater. Raised as a Roman Catholic, he went to the Catholic University of America, Clark University (in Worcester, Massachusetts), and Gonzaga College High School. His brother, Matthew Heard, predeceased his parents, and he grew up with two sisters, Lise and Cordis (an actress).
The dad in Home Alone
Peter McCallister is Kevin McCallister’s father, who while going on a Christmas vacation to France, accidentally leaves his kid Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) at home. Heard decided to use a mix of more traditional comedy clichés and the worried, dramatic acting of a father missing his son to portray the role.
Peter McCallister had two brothers, Rob and Frank. He married Kate and the two of them eventually lived in Winnetka, Illinois, with their five kids.
After realizing that the family left Kevin when he arrived in France, he made multiple attempts to contact their neighbors—including the Murphys—at their house, which was being robbed by Harry and Marv, inquiring about Kevin's whereabouts. Then he informed his brother, Frank, that he was unable to locate anyone for the Christmas holidays because everyone had gone shopping.
When the family returned home on Christmas Day, Peter asked, "What else did you do while we were away?" after learning that Kevin had gone shopping and purchased some milk, eggs, and fabric softener. According to Kevin, he "just hung around." Peter later found a gold tooth and wondered what it was.
Also read: Cast of Home Alone films
FAQs about the dad in Home Alone
A. The late American actor John Heard Jr. played the father in Home Alone.
A. John Heard, who played Kevin’s dad in Home Alone, died of cardiac arrest aged 71 on July 21, 2017.
A. Kevin’s father was probably a businessman having been able to afford expensive vacations.
