Home Alone star found dead in hotel room six months after estranged son's death

As fans and colleagues of Home Alone star John Heard grieve his death, it’s been revealed his estranged son passed away “peacefully in is sleep” just six months earlier.

Max Heard was just 22-years-old when he died in December 2016.

In an obituary written by his mother Sharon, Max “was in deep grief of not having a father participating in his life”.

John, best known for his roles in The Sopranos and Home Alone, passed away on Friday in his hotel room in Palo Alto, California, aged 72.

He was found by the maid service, according to a source close to the family, and when paramedics arrived, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The cause of death is said to be unclear at the moment but police aren't treating it as suspicious.

A representative for the late actor also confirmed Heard was staying in the hotel to recover after undergoing "minor back surgery" at Stanford Medical Centre earlier in the week.

Heard began his career in Hollywood in the late 1970s, with his first role in Chilly Scenes of Winter followed by Heart Beat andCutter's Way, which has become a classic in recent years.

From there, Heard went on to star in the likes of C.H.U.D., Cat People and After Hours as well as take on roles in Big and Beaches.

However, Heard is best known for starring in The Sopranos and playing Macaulay Culkin's father Peter McCallister in 1990's Home Alone and again in the sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, two years later.

More recently, Heard had a brief appearance in the first Sharknado movie.

Since the news broke, Twitter has been flooded with messages from fans and fellow actors paying their respects.

One wrote: "John Heard RIP ... Wonderful actor. So many great roles. Notably Home Alone, Big and The Sopranos."