Hurts career was not without controversy, however: In her 2009 memoir, Matlin wrote about being violently sexually assaulted by her much-older then-boyfriend Hurt. COVID-19 restrictions will be strictly enforced. Alexander Hurt, an actor, said in a phone interview that what he will remember about his father is the pride he took in the work he did, and the pride we took all of my siblings and I in the work he did., He had a pure spirit, he added, and thats what were all going to miss the most, and the way he challenged us all., William Hurt, Oscar-Winning Leading Man of the 1980s, Dies at 71, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/13/arts/william-hurt-dead.html. Expand the Memories and Condolences form. Who Where Receive obituaries Minnie Pearl Ogle Send simple, comforting meals with Home Chef. Of course, I did and do apologize for any pain I caused. William Hurt, best known to comic book fans for his role as Marvels Thunderbolt Ross, has passed away at the age of 71. What makes this talented actor so special and, inevitably, a star is his ability to create his own reality onstage. A scar strip, Thank you for asking, she says, Dreamville just announced its 2023 festival lineup and now everybody wants a ticket, Ozzy Osbourne rejects notion of retiring after canceling tour: Im not dying, Oscars diversity improved after #OscarsSoWhite, study shows. Its a moment you only know when it happens to you, Hurt said in a 2018 interview with CBS San Francisco. His acting had an ease to it even as he was creating complex characters. The actor behind Marvel's Thunderbolt Ross has died. However, he looked more at home as a slippery opal thief in Wim Wenders turn-of-the-millennium odysseyUntil the End of the World(1991) and as Mr Rochester in Franco Zeffirellis take onJaneEyre(1996). Before he broke into films, Mr. Hurt was an in-demand stage actor, working frequently at Circle Repertory in New York, among other theaters. William McChord Hurt was born on March 20, 1950, in Washington, the son of Alfred Hurt, a career diplomat, and Claire Isabel (McGill) Hurt, who worked at Time Inc. Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you. Only a little bit of the iceberg is ever seen, but it is massive. I had fought tooth and nail for five years to change my life so that word didnt happen to me. A leading man in some of the most popular films of the 1980s, he transitioned to supporting roles in later years. So sad to hear this news, Brooks wrote on Twitter. After intensive meetings with the director Arthur Penn, Hurt eventually agreed to take on the part in Altered States. Actor William Hurt at the 2016 Television Critics Assn. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from. You dont play yourself. The family requests privacy at this time. As an actor, William worked from inside, projecting the humanity of his characters outward. Hurt, a Washington, D.C. native, was born on March 20, 1950. Hurt starred in many plays during the 1980s, and most notably received his first Tony Award nomination in 1985 for the Broadway production of Hurlyburly. Hurts son, Will, said in a statement that Hurt died Sunday of natural causes. In 1981, Frank Rich, reviewing Childe Byron at Circle Rep for The Times, singled him out. Nevertheless, Hurts intensity provided the movie with an emotional grounding during its more outlandish passages. William Hurt, the Oscar-winning actor known for Kiss of the Spider Woman, Broadcast News and Children of a Lesser God, died Sunday of natural He was ideally cast as Mr Rochester in Franco Zeffirellis 1996 adaptation of Jane Eyre, but Nora Ephrons sentimental fable Michael (also 1996), in which he was a journalist sent to report on a real-life angel (John Travolta), was a misstep. Hurt died a week before his 72nd birthday. ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images. William Hurt and Kathleen Turner in the modern noir Body Heat, 1981. Editors picks William Hurt, best known to comic book fans for his role as Marvels Thunderbolt Ross, has passed away at the age of 71. And if I had a split lip, or if I mean, there were a lot of things that happened that were not pleasant., My own recollection is that we both apologized and both did a great deal to heal our lives, Hurt said in a statement at the time. summer press tour in Beverly Hills. (My own recollection is that we both apologized and both did a great deal to heal our lives, Hurt said in a statement at the time. You have to build what isnt seen and then play the tip. ), Acting is building the tip of the iceberg, Hurt told Roger Ebert in 1988. He seems thoughtful, wry and funny, yet he has a comfortable physical presence, too, and a friendliness thats uncomplicatedly disarming., Later in his career he played roles large and small. Oscar-winning actor William Hurt has died, aged 71. William Hurt, the Oscar-winning star of Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Big Chill, and Broadcast News, has died, his son Will told The Hollywood Reporter. He was a lawyer drawn into a passionate affair with a woman (Kathleen Turner) who persuades him to murder her husband in the modern noir Body Heat (1981). William Hurt died on March 13, 2022, at age 71, just a week short of his 72nd birthday. Interment Aurora Cemetery. Hurt is survived by four children. His full name is William McChord Hurt. Im interested in all horizons and whats on the other side of them, he said. All rights reserved. Younger audiences, however, likely best know Hurt for his reoccurring role as General Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; Hurt first portrayed the character in 2008s The Incredible Hulk before reprising the general in four more Marvel movies: Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and 2021s Black Widow. We are deeply saddened to report that actor William Hurt, who played Prof. Hobby in Steven Spielbergs A.I. He is survived by his children, Shannon and Sean Hurt, mother, Delores Brown, family, relatives and friends. And I know we have both grown. Soon afterwards, parts in Body Heat and Gorky Park followed. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Source novelist Manuel Puig had been famously dismissive, claiming, La Hurt is so bad she will probably win an Oscar. Further nominations followed for his work as a teacher at a school for the deaf inChildren of a Lesser God(1986) and as a low-wattage sports reporter struggling as an anchorman inBroadcast News(1987). What starts out as a campy, facetious catalog of Hollywood trivia becomes an extraordinarily moving film about manhood, heroism and love.. Lawrence Kasdan, who directed Body Heat and The Big Chill, cast Hurt in two further films: The Accidental Tourist (1988), where he was a grieving travel writer reawakened by his relationship with a dog-trainer (Geena Davis), and the slapstick comedy I Love You to Death (1990), in which he and Keanu Reeves played the stoners hired to kill a philandering restaurateur (Kevin Kline). His work with that citys Circle Repertory Company, where he was a performer from 1977 until 1982, brought him special acclaim. He had a small role in Woody Allens Alice (1990) and took the lead in Wim Wenderss sprawling science-fiction odyssey Until the End of the World (1991). Recommend William's obituary to your friends. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. Beyond that it is my only obligation to solve the truth of the piece. He was nominated for an Academy Award for three other films, including best supporting actor for A History of Violence (2005). Raised in privilege, Hurt trained at the prestigious Juilliard School and cut his stage teeth with the Circle Repertory Company, winning an Obie Award on debut in 1978. Despite Mr. Hurts successes as a leading man in Hollywood, he told The Times in 1990 that theater is a language I speak better or am more tuned into than English., Even one moment onstage is a glacier of comprehension, he added. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. Anyone can read what you share. William Hurt, the Oscar-winning actor who starred in films like Body Heat, The Big Chill and Broadcast News, has died at the age of 71. The actor replied to Matlin with a statement at the time, saying: My own recollection is that we both apologised and both did a great deal to heal our lives. A three-time nominee for Best Actor at the Academy Awards, Hurt won an Oscar in the category for his role in 1985s Kiss of the Spider Woman. If younger modern audiences knew him at all, it was from his recurring role as a US general in Marvel superhero adventures such as Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Black Widow (2021). Published by Tennessean from Feb. 2 to Feb. 3, William Hurt in 2016. He received a fourth Oscar nomination, this time for Best Supporting Actor, in 2005 for his role as a crime boss in David Cronenbergs A History of Violence. He was 71. He was born in Washington DC, to Claire (nee McGill), a business manager at Time, and Alfred Hurt, a diplomat who worked in US foreign assistance. His Oscar nomination for A History of Violence heralded a comeback: he appeared with George Clooney and Matt Damon in the political drama Syriana (also 2005), with Damon again in Robert De Niros thriller The Good Shepherd (2006) and as the father of a young man who goes off-grid in Sean Penns Into the Wild (2007). After being diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in the 2010s, Hurt was vocal about the toll chemotherapy took on his physical and mental health and advocated for an experimental treatment without the traditional side effects of chemo. 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Obituary. In the sombre cold war mystery Gorky Park, scripted by Dennis Potter, he was a Russian police inspector. He was in five films beginning with The Incredible Hulk and including Avengers: Endgame. He had a chance to show a lighter side in The Big Chill (also 1983), an ensemble comedy-drama about a group of former college activists (the cast also included Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum and Tom Berenger) who have fallen short of their youthful ideals. This Online Memorial has been created to commemorate the life of William Hurt Jr. Leave a message on the Tribute Wall to share your favorite memories and offer words of sympathy and comfort. Raul Julia and William Hurt in Kiss of The Spider Woman. Welcome to the Quantum Realm. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Hurt received his final Oscar nomination, for Best Supporting Actor for 2005's A History of Violence, while continuing to act in film, on stage, and in television. He had a relationship with his co-star in Children of a Lesser God, Marlee Matlin, which she later described as abusive. Hurt had been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in 2018. It is with great sadness that the Hurt family mourns the passing of William Hurt, beloved father and Oscar winning actor, on March 13, 2022, one week before his 72nd birthday, the family said. To offer your sympathy during this difficult time, you can now have memorial trees planted in a National Forest in memory of your loved one. Mr. William H.T. His screen bow also drew plaudits, as he plumbed the depths of consciousness as the psychopathologist experimenting with sensory deprivation in Ken Russells cult body horror,AlteredStates(1980). Hes a great character actor, but lets face it, hes a leading man.. He was 71. I have agreed to something the whole piece says. You have funeral questions, we have answers. Hurt won an Academy Award for Best Actor for 1985s Kiss of the Spider Woman, and his next two movies Children of a Lesser God and Broadcast News brought him nominations, for three consecutive Best Actor nominations. He had become known for thoughtful, intelligent performances and for philosophical responses in interviews. Ross. Services will be held on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, at Perry Funeral Home Inc. 34 Mercer St., Newark, NJ 07103, 973-824-9201. Once again, Mr. Hurt establishes himself as an instantly affable screen star, an actor who combines some of Dustin Hoffmans best qualities with some of Jeff Bridgess, Ms. Maslin wrote in reviewing that film for The Times. William Hurt acclaimed actor of such films as Body Heat, Broadcast News, Children of a Lesser God, and Kiss of the Spider Woman has died at age 71. Recommend William's obituary to your friends. In a 2009 interview with The Times, he explained: I dont have to be the star, physically. Hurts son Will shared the following statement, confirming the news. He was the only son of Delores May Brown, and the loving William was born on June 21, 1967 in California to the parents of Delores and William Hurt Sr. He looked out of place in the intergalactic romp Lost in Space (1998) but did sympathetic work as a paternal scientist in Steven Spielbergs AI Artificial Intelligence (2001). But its not me up there, he added. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time William Hurt, Oscar-winning actor, dies at 71 The Body Heat, Broadcast News, and Kiss of the Spider Woman star passed away from prostate cancer. Hurts son Will confirmed his fathers death in a statement Sunday. In 2009, he reunited with his Big Chill co-star Glenn Close on the FX drama Damages, earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor. The Oscar-winning actress and CODA star claimed her relationship with Hurt involved considerable drug and physical abuse by him. Upon graduation he enlisted in the Army and became an army reservist from which he retired in 1992. Hurt was best known for his Oscar-winning performance as gay prisoner Luis Molina in 1985s Kiss of the Spider Woman, and his Oscar-nominated work in the hit 1987 comedy Broadcast News, intense 2005 drama A History of Violence and 1986 romance Children of a Lesser God. "I have this Forrest Gump-ian way of touching something and it becomes a hit!" I think our purpose is to seek as great a contribution as we can, whatever that might be., Though his film career waned somewhat in the later years of his life, Hurt had a recurring role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Thaddeus Ross. Published by The News & Advance on May 23, 2021. When they called my name out, I really thought, Oh no, no, no, no, dont put that target on my chest, dont do this, he said in 2010. Known for his serious, intellectual roles, Hurt got in on the blockbuster game later in his career, joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross in The Incredible Hulk and Captain America: Civil War. Of course, I did and do apologise for any pain I caused. But Redford would never have taken the role of Luis Molina, the gay child rapist telling tall tales to his revolutionary cellmate (Raul Julia) inKiss of the SpiderWoman(1985). Artificial Intelligence, The Village, Syriana, The Good Shepherd and Mr. Brooks. However, after Broadcast Newsand the turn of the Nineties, Hurt who called Hollywood pretty shallow, commercialized and homogenized in his Rolling Stone interview took a turn toward off-beat independent films (Wim Wenders Until the End of the World and 1995s Smoke stand out) as well as memorable supporting roles in films like Dark City, One True Thing and Michael. 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