REMEMBERING WILLIAM HURT

One of the great leading men of Hollywood’s recent history and an actor gifted with a unique and prodigious talent, Oscar-winner William Hurt has passed away from natural causes. Considered one of the defining stars of his generation, he earned a Best Actor trophy for Kiss of The Spider Woman in 1986, the first of three consecutive nominations in the category. He was 71.

A strapping 6’2” and exuding a WASP-ish everyman appeal that had many comparing his on-screen charisma to Robert Redford in his prime, Hurt was targeted straight out of college as a potential big-screen star. He delivered on that, but did so by starring in roles that often subverted movie-star conventions, channelling nuance and dark emotion that made him a compelling film presence.    

A graduate of Juiliiard, he was a naturally commanding stage actor, appearing in more than fifty productions including Henry V, Hamlet, Uncle Vanya, Richard II, Hurlyburly (earning a Tony Award nomination), My Life (winning an Obie Award for Best Actor) and A Midsummer's Night's Dream. 

Hurt made his on-screen debut in the lead role of Dr Jessup in Ken Russel’s trippy Altered States (1980; pictured, right), kick-starting a run of major studio films that saw him work with some of international cinema’s finest directors and A-list co-stars - Peter Yates’ Eyewitness (1981), opposite Sigourney Weaver; Lawrence Kasdan’s Body Heat (1981) with Kathleen Turner; Michael Apted’s Gorky Park (1983), with Lee Marvin; Kasdan again, in The Big Chill (1983); Hector Babenco, for …Spider Woman; Randa Haines’ Children of a Lesser God (1986), opposite Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin; James L. Brooks’ Broadcast News (1987), with Holly Hunter; and, opposite Oscar-winner Geena Davis in 1988’s The Accidental Tourist (again, for Lawrence Kasdan). It was a period that established him as one of the defining movie stars of ‘80s cinema.

His choices became more idiosyncratic, and occasionally less successful at the box office, but each exemplified the fearless and adventurous spirit with which he viewed his craft. He would often shine in support parts or lend stature to the cool indies of the period. Through the ‘90s, his significant works included Kasdan’s ensemble black comedy I Love You to Death (1990); Woody Allen’s Alice (1990); The Doctor (1991), reteaming with his …Lesser God director, Randa Haines; Wim Wenders’ Until the End of The World (1991; pictured below); Anthony Minghella’s Mr. Wonderful (1993); Wayne Wang’s Smoke (1995); and, Alex Proyas’ Dark City (1998).

In 1998, he gave more than the role of Captain John Robinson deserved in Australian director Stephen Hopkins’ Lost in Space, opposite Gary Oldman and Mimi Rogers, a box-office underperformer that has nevertheless found some cult love in recent years. 

The ‘elder statesman’ phase of his career, in which he added gravitas to key roles that demanded maximum impact with limited screen time, proved richly rewarding for the actor and his audience alike. Highlights from his post-2000 career include Steven Spielberg’s A.I. (2001); Tonie Marshall’s Au plus près du paradis (2002), with Catherine Deneuve; M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village (2004); and, Stephen Gaghan’s Syriana (2005), with George Clooney. David Cronenberg directed him to his fourth Oscar nomination in 2005, for his supporting turn in 2005’s A History of Violence.

In recent years, he has found favour with a younger audience as an integral part of the MCU; he first appeared as G-man Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross opposite Edward Norton in Louis Letterier’s The Incredible Hulk in 2008 and reprised the role in subsequent Marvel adventures Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avenger: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Black Widow (2021). His final film in general release was Sean McNamara’s The King’s Daughter with Kaya Scodelario and Pierce Brosnan, a troubled production shot in Australia in 2014 that debuted on US VOD services in January 2022. 

Hurt moved effortlessly between big- and small-screen work. Notable television projects over his 50-year career include All the Way Home (1981), with Sally Field; the 2000 mini-series adaptation of Dune, in which he played ‘Duke Leto Atreides’ (pictured, right); Varian’s War (2001), opposite Julia Ormond; a multi-episode arc in the series Damages (2009), reuniting him with his The Big Chill co-star Glenn Close; the iconic role of ‘Captain Ahab’ in the 2011 mini-series Moby Dick; and, his Emmy-nominated performance as ‘Hank Paulson’ in Curtis Hanson’s acclaimed account of the 2008 financial crisis, Too Big to Fail (2011; featured, above).

William Hurt was married twice, first to actress Mary Beth Hurt then Heidi Henderson, with both marriages ending in divorce. He is survived by his children Jeanne Bonnaire-Hurt, Alexander Hurt, Samuel Hurt and William Hurt Jr.