Celebrity 'Never Not Good': Elijah Wood, Michael McKean and More Remember Actor John Heard The life of beloved actor John Heard — the star known for his role in several iconic '80s and '90s movies including Big, Beaches, and Home Alone — is being remembered by his Hollywood costars and admirers By Dave Quinn Dave Quinn Dave Quinn is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE. He has been working at the brand since 2016, and is the author of the No. 1 New York Times best-selling book, Not All Diamonds and Rosé: The Inside Story of the Real Housewives from the People Who Lived It. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 22, 2017 01:05PM EDT The life of actor John Heard — the star known for his role in several iconic ’80s and ’90s movies including Big, Beaches, and Home Alone — is being remembered by his Hollywood costars and admirers. Heard died Friday in Palo Alto, California, the Santa Clara County medical examiner’s office confirmed to PEOPLE. He was 71. With a four-decade career in Hollywood and more than 200 credits on stage and screen, Heard had a number of high-profile costars. “Sad to hear of John Heard’s passing,” wrote actor Elijah Wood — who worked as a young boy with Heard in 1992’s Radio Flyer. Mark Mainz/Getty Images Heard’s White Chicks costar Marlon Wayans also spoke out. “I had the pleasure of working with John Heard in #whitechicks. He was a great guy Shared a lot of laughs,” the 44-year-old comedian wrote. “Sad to see such a good spirit and actor taken. Thank you for all your contributions to our beloved industry. May you live forever through your vast body of work. #ripjohnheard” The actor was also memorialized by many who only had the chance to watch his work from the other side of the screen. “RIP John Heard,” wrote Oscar nominee Michael McKean. “Never not good.” “RIP John Heard. You will always be the dad I wish I had so I could accidentally be left at home and also end up in New York,” said Genius actor Jon Fletcher — referencing Heard’s role as the McCallister patriarch in 1992’s Home Alone: Lost in New York. “A sad day.” Read more celebrity reactions below: On Saturday, the Palo Alto Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE that a man fitting Heard’s description was found dead at a local hotel. “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 police spokesperson said. “The person was determined to be deceased. While still under investigation, the death is not considered suspicious at this time.” Heard’s rep did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to TMZ, the Washington, D.C. native was reportedly recovering from a “minor back surgery” he had on Wednesday at Stanford Medical Center. In addition to his aforementioned roles, Heard also played memorable parts in The Sopranos, Gladiator, The Pelican Brief, NCIS: Los Angeles, and The Trip to Bountiful.