(CelebrityAccess) – William Hurt, Oscar-winning actor and star of Broadcast News has died. He was 71. Hurt won an Oscar for his performance in the 1985 movie Kiss of the Spider Woman and was nominated for his roles in Broadcast News, A History of Violence, and Children of a Lesser God.
“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, his family released in a statement. “He died peacefully, among family, of natural causes. The family requests privacy at this time.” Gerry Byrne, a long-time friend of Hurt confirmed his death to Variety. Hurt revealed in 2018 that he had terminal prostate cancer, which had spread to his bones.
Hurt was born on March 20, 1950, in Washington, DC. He first attended Tufts University but ended up in Juilliard to study acting. He began acting on stage in the late 70s and did not make his film debut until 1980 when he starred in Altered States. He teamed up with Lawrence Kasdan in 1983’s The Big Chill, putting him on the path to becoming a household name.
Hurt starred in Kiss of the Spider Woman as a homosexual imprisoned during the Brazilian military dictatorship. He earned critical acclaim and won several awards throughout 1985, topping it off with an Oscar for Best Actor in 1985. Other notable roles include starring with Marlee Matlin in Children of a Lesser God, Holly Hunter in Broadcast News, and with Kasdan again in The Accidental Tourist and I love You to Death.
Hurt engaged in a volatile relationship with actress Marlee Matlin, who accused him of being physically abusive and having a drug problem in her 2009 autobiography. He was married to Mary Beth Hurt and then to Heidi Henderson. He also had relationships with French actress Sandrine Bonnaire and Sandra Jennings. He spoke fluent French and had a home outside of Paris.
In the latter days of his career, he became a character actor with turns as Thaddeus Ross in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Black Widow. He also earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his turn in A History of Violence.
His four children survive Hurt, two with Henderson, one with Jennings, and one with Bellaire.
