Home Alone star has tragically passed away

The actor best known for playing the father in the Home Alone movies has died at the age of 72.

John Heard, was found dead in a hotel in Palo Alto, California, on Friday, according to TMZ, quoting family sources.

The Washington DC native was reportedly discovered by the maid service and was pronounced dead on the scene.

Heard's rep told the gossip website the actor had minor back surgery on Wednesday and he was at the hotel to recover.

A Palo Alto Police Department spokesman told People: "I can confirm that our officers responded with the Fire Department to a hotel in our city yesterday on a report of a person in need of medical aid.

"The person was determined to be deceased. While still under investigation, the death is not considered suspicious at this time."

The cause of death is not known.

Heard played Peter McCallister - Macaulay Culkin's character's father - in the Home Alone movies.

He also starred in Big with Tom Hanks, Gladiator, The Sopranos and Battlestar Galactica.

Heard had been married three times and is survived by three children.

• This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission.