Zacharias Ward (born August 31, 1970) is a Canadian actor.[1][2] He is known for his role as Scut Farkus in the 1983 film A Christmas Story and its 2022 sequel A Christmas Story Christmas.[3]
Zack Ward | |
|---|---|
 Ward at the 12th Satellite Awards, December 2007 | |
| Born | Zacharias Ward August 31, 1970 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Spouse |
Jennifer McMahan (m. 2018) |
| Parent | Pam Hyatt (mother) |
Early life
editWard was born on August 31, 1970, in Toronto, Ontario, the son of actress Pam Hyatt and Todd Allen Ward.[4][5]
Career
editHe is best known for his character Dave Scoville (Titus's stoner half-brother) on the FOX show Titus[2] and as the bully Scut Farkus in the 1983 Christmas classic A Christmas Story.[1] He has had guest roles on popular television series such as NCIS, Lost, and Crossing Jordan,[2] and roles in films such as Almost Famous,[2] Transformers,[2] and Anne of Green Gables.[2] He has appeared in the horror films Resident Evil: Apocalypse[1] and Freddy vs. Jason. Ward also has had leading roles in BloodRayne 2: Deliverance[1] and Postal,[2] and can be seen in Alone in the Dark II[2] and The Devil's Tomb.[2]
In 2014, Ward co-founded the film production company Grit Film Works with James Cullen Bressack.[6] The first two films which he co-produced with Grit Film Works were the thriller Bethany and the horror film Restoration.[7]
Ward is the CEO of Global Sports Financial Exchange, Inc since 2017.[8]
In 2022, Ward reprised his role as Scut Farkus in the A Christmas Story sequel, A Christmas Story Christmas for Warner Bros. Pictures and HBO Max (now Max).[9]
Personal life
editOn August 18, 2018, Ward married actress and producer, Jennifer McMahan.[10]
Litigation
editIn August 2011, Ward sued Warner Bros. and Enesco[citation needed] over merchandising for A Christmas Story after Warner Bros. authorized a figurine set including the Scut Farkus character from the film without Ward's permission.[11] It was revealed that Ward's contract was under ACTRA, unlike the other actors' contracts, and did not grant likeness rights for merchandising.[11] Warner Bros. argued that the figurine showed a "generic face" that has been used on them since 2006 and that statute of limitations had run out, among other claims. The lawsuit was dismissed in January 2012 by mutual agreement.[12]
In December 2012, Ward sued the National Entertainment Collectibles Association, and briefly Warner Bros. again, over his image after attending the annual Christmas Story charity fundraiser convention in Cleveland in November 2010 where a fan handed him a Christmas Story board game, playing cards, and calendar showing his face.[13] The lawsuit was settled three days later.[14]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | A Christmas Story | Scut Farkus | Film debut |
| 1985 | Anne of Green Gables | Moody | |
| 1993 | Just for Fun | Tom | Short film |
| 1994 | The Club | Kyle | |
| 1996 | Star Hunter | Cooper | Video |
| 1996 | Ed | Dusty Richards | |
| 1997 | Lancelot: Guardian of Time | A.J. | |
| 1997 | Wild America | D.C. | |
| 1998 | How to Make the Cruelest Month | Manhattan's Neighbor | |
| 1999 | The Fair | Jimmy | |
| 2000 | Civility | Billy | |
| 2000 | Almost Famous | The Legendary Red Dog | |
| 2000 | The Size of Watermelons | Skinhead | |
| 2001 | Completely Totally Utterly | Chad | |
| 2003 | The Pink House | Murray | |
| 2003 | Freddy vs. Jason | Bobby Davis | |
| 2003 | April's Shower | August | |
| 2004 | A Night at Sophie's | Tony | |
| 2004 | L.A. Twister | Lenny | |
| 2004 | Resident Evil: Apocalypse | Nicholai Ginovaeff | |
| 2005 | Aurora Borealis | Lindstrom | |
| 2006 | Hollywood Kills | Nate Folds | |
| 2006 | Pennies | Stoner Todd | Short film |
| 2007 | Trade | Alex Green | |
| 2007 | Moving McAllister | Earl | |
| 2007 | Transformers | First Sgt. Donnelly | |
| 2007 | Postal | The Postal Dude | |
| 2007 | BloodRayne 2: Deliverance | Billy the Kid | Video |
| 2008 | Kissing Cousins | Charlie | |
| 2008 | Dead and Gone | The Weatherman | |
| 2008 | Alone in the Dark II | Xavier | Video |
| 2008 | Battle Planet | Jordan Strider | |
| 2009 | The Devil's Tomb | Nickels | Direct-to-Video |
| 2010 | Repo | Red | |
| 2010 | In the Void | Mark | |
| 2011 | End of the Road | Falco / Zack | |
| 2011 | Monster Mutt | Sirus Caldwell | |
| 2011 | In My Pocket | Rob | |
| 2014 | Dark House | Chris McCulluch | |
| 2014 | Don't Blink | Alex | Also producer |
| 2016 | Izzie's Way Home | Thurston (voice) | Animated film |
| 2016 | Bethany | Aaron | Also producer |
| 2016 | The Curse of Sleeping Beauty | Nathan | |
| 2016 | Restoration | Harold | Also director and producer |
| 2016 | A Christmas in Vermont | David Briggs | |
| 2019 | Beyond the Law | Desmond Packard | |
| 2021 | Survive the Game | Jean | |
| 2022 | A Christmas Story Christmas | Officer Scut Farkus | |
| 2024 | Darkness of Man | Alexei |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Anne of Green Gables | Moody Spurgeon | TV movie |
| 1987 | Taking Care of Terrific | Seth Sandruff | TV movie |
| 1987 | Anne of Avonlea | Moody Spurgeon | TV movie |
| 1988 | Friday the 13th: The Series | Greg Mazzey | Episode: "Vanity's Mirror" |
| 1990 | Neon Rider | Digger | Episode: "Vengeance" |
| 1990 | My Secret Identity | Daniel | Episode: "White Lies" |
| 1991 | Maniac Mansion | Tim | Episode: "Ugly Like Me" |
| 1992 | Forever Knight | Topper | Episode: "Dark Knight" |
| 1993 | Spenser: Ceremony | Hummer | TV movie |
| 1994 | Boogies Diner | Kirby | TV series |
| 1994 | Harvest for the Heart | Ross Hansen | TV movie |
| 1995 | Sliders | Security Guard (uncredited) | Episode: "The King Is Back" |
| 1995 | NYPD Blue | Jerry | Episode: "Dirty Laundry" |
| 1996 | Sliders | Gerald Thomas | Episode: "The Dream Masters" |
| 1997 | Party of Five | Ted | Episode: "Significant Others" |
| 1997 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Jerry 'Mad Dog' Sullivan | Episode: "Mr. Justice" |
| 1997 | The Sentinel | Orange Glasses Man | Episode: "Breaking Ground" |
| 1998 | Fast Track | Episode: "Guys with Guns" | |
| 1998 | Blade Squad | Billy Mustard | TV movie |
| 1998 | NYPD Blue | Dan Evers | Episode: "Top Gum" |
| 1998 | Nash Bridges | Paul Pangborn | Episode: "Overdrive" |
| 1998 | JAG | Curtis Dastuge | Episode: "The Martin Baker Fan Club" |
| 1999 | Viper | Crup | Episode: "My Fair Hoodlums" |
| 1999 | The Pretender | Little Joshua / Theodore Reed | Episode: "End Game" |
| 1999 | Profiler | Little Joshua / Theodore Reed | Episode: "Grand Master" |
| 1999 | Atomic Train | Stan Atkins | TV movie |
| 1999 | Y2K | Rick Rothman | TV movie |
| 1999 | Brotherhood of Murder | Charles Higgins | TV movie |
| 2000 | Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story | Moody Spurgeon | TV movie |
| 2000–2002 | Titus | Dave Scoville | 54 episodes |
| 2001 | Chasing Destiny | Eric | TV movie |
| 2002 | The Outer Limits | Link | Episode: "The Human Factor" |
| 2002 | She Spies | The Thin Man in Black | Episode: "Poster Girl" |
| 2002 | MDs | Dr. Lewis | Episode: "A La Casa" |
| 2003 | Chasing Alice | TV movie | |
| 2003 | Ghost Dog: A Detective Tail | Howie Tibbadoe | TV movie |
| 2003 | Monte Walsh | Powder Kent | TV movie |
| 2004 | Charmed | Kevin Casey / Sirk | Episode: "Styx Feet Under" |
| 2004 | Significant Others | Zack | Episode: "2.6" |
| 2004 | Deadwood | Episode: "No Other Sons or Daughters" | |
| 2005 | Deadwood | Hotel Desk Clerk | Episode: "Childish Things" |
| 2005 | Crossing Jordan | FBI Agent Blair | Episode: "A Stranger Among Us" |
| 2005 | Lost | Marc Silverman | Episode: "Do No Harm" |
| 2005 | NCIS | Police Officer Billy Krieg | Episode: "Hometown Hero" |
| 2005 | All of Us | Jeff Sizemore | 4 episodes |
| 2006 | Girlfriends | Mike | Episode: "Hustle & Dough" |
| 2007 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Steve Card | Episode: "Lying Down with Dogs" |
| 2008 | Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles | Wells | Episode: "Automatic for the People" |
| 2009 | Cold Case | Ed Dubinski | Episode: "Lotto Fever" |
| 2009-2010 | Dollhouse | Zone | Episodes: "Epitaph One", "Epitaph Two: Return" |
| 2010 | I'm in the Band | Xander | Episode: "Got No Class" |
| 2010 | Warehouse 13 | Leo | Episode: "13.1" |
| 2011 | Accidentally in Love | Scott Dunbar | TV movie |
| 2011 | Breakout Kings | Christian Beaumont | Episode: "Like Father, Like Son" |
| 2011 | Drop Dead Diva | Keith Geary | Episode: "The Wedding" |
| 2011 | The Mentalist | Whit Naylor | Episode: "Blood and Sand" |
| 2011 | Hawaii Five-0 | Billy Murphy | Episode: "Ike Maka" |
| 2012 | CSI: Miami | Clyde Novak | Episode: "Law & Disorder" |
| 2012 | CSI: NY | Keith Milner | Episode: "Misconceptions" |
| 2012 | Chicago Fire | Ted Griffin | Episode: "Christmas, Etc." |
| 2013 | The Exes | Bradley | Episode: "Pretty Women" |
| 2013 | Liv and Maddie | Officer Mike Clarkson | Episode: "Sleep-A-Rooney" |
| 2013 | Mike & Molly | Donny | Episode: "The First and Last Ride-Along" |
| 2014 | Blood Lake: Attack of the Killer Lampreys | Will | TV film |
| 2014 | Fallen Cards | The Drifter | |
| 2016 | It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | Davy | "A Cricket's Tale" |
| 2017 | American Horror Story: Cult | Roger | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Z Nation | Lt. Dante | 6 episodes |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel | Alpha |
| 2014 | Murdered: Soul Suspect | Additional voices |
| 2015 | Rise of the Tomb Raider | Konstantin |
| 2015 | Postal 2: Paradise Lost | Himself |
| 2022 | Postal 4: No Regerts | The Postal Dude |
References
edit- ^ a b c d Tracie Cooper (2015). "Zack Ward". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 24, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Zack Ward Filmography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2015. Archived from the original on June 23, 2015.
- ^ Ahearn, Victoria (December 20, 2017). "Canadian 'A Christmas Story' bully Zack Ward on making the classic film". National Post. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
- ^ totalazackward (January 4, 2024). "My father has died. Todd Allen Ward passed on Dec 19th, 2023. I kept silent to mourn in private and not intrude on your holidays. I love him. I miss him. I'm relieved he's no longer in pain. I hope we can cure Alzheimer's. Life is short. Fill yours with hope and love. If you knew him, please DM me for memorial info. Thank you. @alzassociation". instagram.com.
- ^ Rose, Mike. "Today's top celebrity birthdays list for August 31, 2018". August 31, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ^ Couch, Aaron (March 9, 2015). "Two Microbudget Horror Films First on Slate From New Production Company". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Moore, Debi (March 16, 2015). "New Production Co. Grit Film Works Announces Horror Projects Bethany and Restoration". Dread Central.
- ^ "AllSportsMarket (ASM) Splits NFL and 3HL Proving Early Success of Sports Trading Platform" (Press release). AllSportsMarket. November 8, 2017. Retrieved December 25, 2020 – via PRNewswire.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (February 15, 2022). "Four Original 'Christmas Story' Castmembers Join Peter Billingsley In HBO Max Sequel From Warner Bros. & Legendary". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ "Jennifer McMahan and Zack Ward's Wedding Registry". Zola Registry. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
- ^ a b Gardner, Eriq (August 22, 2011). "Why the 'Christmas Story' Child Actor Sued Warner Bros. Over Figurines". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
- ^ Gardner, Eriq (January 16, 2012). "'Christmas Story' Actor Drops Lawsuit Against Warner Bros". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
- ^ Gardner, Eriq (December 19, 2012). "'A Christmas Story' Bully Fights for His Image in Court". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
- ^ Greenblatt, Paul (December 22, 2012). "Zach Ward: Bully From 'A Christmas Story' Sues, Says He Was Bullied in Real Life". ABC News. Retrieved October 3, 2022.