John Heard has died at the age of 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, TMZ reports.

The cause is 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' and 'Cutter'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.

Since the sad news broke, Twitter has been flooded with messages from fans paying tribute to the late actor.

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

And another added: "Aw man, John Heard has died. RIP #PeterMcCallister. #HomeAlone 1 & 2 was a huge part of my childhood. I still love those two films. (sic)"

A third shared: "OMG, NOOOOOO! Another great actor! RIP John Heard, you will be missed !!! (sic)"