William Hurt dead at 71: Hollywood star remembered

Hollywood is paying tribute to veteran star and Academy Award winner William Hurt, who has died after a career that spanned cult classics, acclaimed dramas and Marvel blockbusters.

Veteran Hollywood star and Academy Award winner William Hurt has died.

Hurt’s son confirmed the news with a statement from their family, saying he passed away surrounded by family and friends.

“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.

“He died peacefully, among family, of natural causes. The family requests privacy at this time.”

The veteran actor had revealed in 2018 that he had been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer that had spread to the bone.

Australian actor Russell Crowe was one of many actors and directors who paid tribute to him after he worked alongside Hurt in Robin Hood with fellow Australian actress Cate Blanchett.

“William Hurt has passed. On Robin Hood, I was aware of his reputation for asking character based questions, so I had compiled a file on the life of William Marshall. He sought me out when he arrived on set. I handed him the stack. Not sure if I’ve ever seen a bigger smile. RIP,” he tweeted.

William Hurt has passed. On Robin Hood, I was aware of his reputation for asking character based questions, so I had compiled a file on the life of William Marshall. He sought me out when he arrived on set. I handed him the stack. Not sure if I’ve ever seen a bigger smile. RIP.

— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) March 13, 2022

Saddened to hear of the passing of actor William Hurt. He broke the mold in his Oscar-winning role in Kiss of the Spider Woman, broke smiles in Broadcast News, and broke our hearts in The Accidental Tourist. A great loss to the world. Rest among the stars now, good sir.

— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) March 13, 2022

After beginning his career on stage, Hurt’s breakout film role came in Ken Russell’s 1980 thriller Altered States and he became one of that decade’s most reliable and bankable actors.

William Hurt as Rochester, and Charlotte Gainsbourg as Jane in the movie "Jane Eyre".

More recently he was well known to global audiences as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films in his role as Thaddeus Ross.

As the nemesis of Bruce Banner/The hulk, the character appeared in The Incredible Hulk, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and last year’s Black Widow.

He also starred in the Marvel One-Shot The Consultant and the Disney+ animated series What If…?.

Actor Isabella Rossellini with William Hurt in scene from film 'Late Bloomers'.

Hurt won his only Oscar for his role as a gay prison inmate in the drama Kiss of the Spider Woman in 1986, pulling off a rare double by also winning the Best Actor Award for the same role at the Cannes Film Festival the previous year.

Very sorry to hear about the passing of William Hurt. He was a fine actor, an Academy Award winner. He also did a classic reading of my story "Low Men in Yellow Coats," from HEARTS IN ATLANTIS. I loved hitchhiking on his immense talent.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 13, 2022

It was also the first of three consecutive Best Actor nominations that showed off his versatility and range. In the 1986 romantic drama Children of a Lesser God, Hurt played an inspirational teacher opposite Marlee Matlin, who became the youngest and the first deaf actor to win the

Actor Kathleen Turner and William Hurt in scene from film 'Body Heat'.

Best Actress Oscar. Hurt and Matlin also became romantically involved.

Hurt also showed his funny side as a charismatic but shallow news reporter alongside Holly Hunter and Albert Books in the 1987 James L. Brooks romantic comedy, Broadcast News.

RIP William Hurt, 71.
Terrific actor, loved him in Broadcast News. pic.twitter.com/2pwj35fEJ3

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 13, 2022

R.I.P. William Hurt. So sad to hear this news. Working with him on Broadcast News was amazing. He will be greatly missed.

— Albert Brooks (@AlbertBrooks) March 13, 2022

Other acclaimed roles during the 1980s included neo-noir hit Body Heat, with Kathleen Turner, The Big Chill, Gorky Park and The Accidental Tourist.

Taking advantage of his leading man cachet, Hurt pushed his boundaries in arthouse fare such as Wim Wenders’ Until the End of the World and A Couch In New York throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s before transitioning into more character actor roles during the 2000s.

Actors William Hurt and Robyn Nevin in a scene from the production of 'Long Day's Journey Into Night' at the Sydney Theatre Company.

Hurt also appeared in off-Broadway productions got his first Tony Award nomination in 1985 for the Broadway production of Hurlyburly.

He also came to Sydney and appeared on stage with Robyn Nevin in a scene from the production of ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night’ at the Sydney Theatre Company in 2013.

I’m so sad to hear of the passing of William Hurt. I had the privilege of directing him in The Village. He was a master of his acting craft. Every take was new and revealing. #rip

— M. Night Shyamalan ⌛ (@MNightShyamalan) March 13, 2022

He continued to work with major directors – including Steven Spielberg on A.I. Artificial Intelligence, M. Night Shyamalan on The Village, and earned a fourth Academy Award Nomination (for Best Supporting Actor) playing a vicious crime boss on David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence.

He also earned an Emmy nomination in 2009 for playing a corporate whistleblower opposite Glenn Close and Aussie Rose Byrne in the legal drama Damages.

Hurt continued to work even after his cancer diagnosis, appearing in last year’s Apple TV+ series Mythic Quest.