Lyman Ward

If the fates had aligned differently, Lyman Ward would have played two iconic pop culture patriarchs. As it stands now, the lanky character actor is best known to moviegoers as the clueless father in the beloved teen romp "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," written and directed by John Hughes.

Four years later, Ward was cast as Jim Walsh, Brandon and Brenda's doting dad, on one of the 1990s' defining TV shows, "Beverly Hills, 90210." Ward filmed the pilot episode, but his scenes were later re-shot with series fixture James Eckhouse. Despite the snub, Ward has enjoyed a distinguished acting career, appearing in dozens of movies and television shows since 1971. This includes working on at least two more John Hughes-related projects: the classic 1987 holiday drama "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" and the sitcom "Weird Science," which was inspired by Hughes's 1985 sci-fi comedy. Hughes also played a pivotal role in the actor's personal life. While filming "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," Ward met Cindy Pickett, the actress playing his onscreen wife. The couple married in 1986, but divorced in 1992.