John Heard, who played Macaulay Culkin's father in the<em> Home Alone</em> films has died, age 72. Entertainment website TMZ is reporting that the actor was found dead in a Palo Alto, California hotel where he was recuperating following back surgery. The actor rose to fame playing Peter McCallister, father of Culkin's character the mischievous Kevin, in the hit family comedy<em> Home Alone</em> (1990) and sequel <em>Home Alone 2: Lost in New York </em>(1992). Born in Washington, DC on March 7, 1945, Heard worked in theatre during the early part of his career. Although most people knew him as the <em>Home Alone Dad</em>, he also had parts in the films <em>Between the Lines</em> (1977), <em>Heart Beat</em> (1980), <em>Cutter's Way</em> (1981) and <em>Big</em> (1988). In 1999 he received an Emmy nomination for playing a corrupt detective in the acclaimed mafia drama series <em>The Sopranos</em>. His other television appearances included <em>CSI: Crime Scene Investigation</em>, <em>Modern Family</em> and <em>Entourage</em>. Actor Jeff Bridges honoured his former co-star on Twitter, saying: "John Heard - what a wonderful actor. We were in the movie <em>Cutter's Way</em> together & I got to experience his artistry and dedication first hand." <em>Agence France Presse</em>