Lyman Ward was born and raised in Saint John and graduated from St. Malachy’s Memorial High School in the class of 1959, and then in 1963 from St. Thomas University which was located at the time in Miramichi before relocating to Fredericton in 1964.

He appeared on the very first episode of Laverne & Shirley as Tad Schotz, but is most noted for playing Ferris Bueller’s father in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986). 

In 1990, Ward was cast as Jim Walsh in the pilot of the show “Beverly Hills, 90210“. Producers later recast the role and his scenes were cut and reshot with James Eckhouse instead.

In 2001, he made a cameo appearance in the movie “Not Another Teen Movie” as Mr. Wyler, spoofing his role in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Ward also played a minor role in “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” (1987) as John, one of the marketers. 

Ward met Cindy Pickett on the Ferris Bueller set, where they played the parents of the teenaged protagonist in the 1986 film. They married in real life, had two children together, then divorced shortly after playing the parents of the teenaged protagonist in the 1992 film “Sleepwalkers”, citing irreconcilable differences. 

Ward published a novel titled “Fortune’s Tide” in 2016, a historical fiction based in his home town of Saint John. 

He continues to act in both films and television. 

TV and Filmography

• Coffy (1973) – Orderly
• One Day at a Time (Season 1 Episode 2) (1975) – Steve Blanchard
• The Great Smokey Roadblock (1977) – Leland
• The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood (1980) – Real Estate Agent
• Barney Miller (1980 episode “Agent Orange” as Len Macready, 1982 episode “Examination Day” as Harv Jetter)
• Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981) – Emergency Room Doctor
• Love Letters (1983) – Morgan Crawford
• Moscow on the Hudson (1984) – Agent Williams
• Young Lust (1984)
• Protocol (1984) – Senator Kenworthy
• Creature (1985) – David Perkins
• A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985) – Mr. Grady
• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) – Tom Bueller
• Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) – John (uncredited)
• Perfect Victims (1988) – Steven Hack
• Milk and Honey (1988) – Adam Bernardi
• She’s Having a Baby (1988) – Himself (uncredited)
• Riding the Edge (1989) – John
• Best Shots (1990) – Roger Boro
• Guilty as Charged (1991) – Stanford
• The Taking of Beverly Hills (1991) – Chief Healy
• Mikey (1992) – Mr. Jenkins
• Sleepwalkers (1992) – Mr. Robertson
• The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) – Chief Gallo
• No Dessert, Dad, Till You Mow the Lawn (1994) – Larry
• The Wrong Woman (1995) – Jonah Slide
• Independence Day (1996) – Secret Service Agent
• The Secret Agent Club (1996) – SHADOW General
• Not Another Teen Movie (2001) – Mr. Wyler
• Quiet Kill (2004) – Dr. Rubin
• Rumor Has It (2005) – Charity Dinner Guests
• Two:Thirteen (2009) – Police Captain
• Farah Goes Bang (2013) – Walter

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