William Hurt dead: Oscar-winner was 71

Here’s some sad news to end the weekend, folks. Deadline reports the legendary William Hurt, star of Altered States, The Big Chill, Broadcast News, A History of Violence, and so many more classics has died at only seventy-one. No cause of death has been given, with the family offering a simple statement saying,

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

This is a real shame. Hurt was one of those guys who, if you love movies, you’ve seen over and over. His career started in 1980 when he famously starred in the gonzo sci-fi classic Altered States for Ken Russell, although it was arguably his turn as the coke-dealing bad boy mourner in The Big Chill that skyrocketed him to top of Hollywood’s A-list. He was nominated four times for an Academy Award throughout his career, the first three times consecutively for 1985’s Kiss of the Spider Woman, 1986’s Children of a Lesser God, and 1987’s Broadcast News. He won the Oscar for Kiss of the Spider Woman opposite the late Raul Julia.

In the nineties and 2000s, Hurt began dipping his toe into genre films, starring in the big-screen version of Lost in Space, Dark City, A.I: Artificial Intelligence, and then finally in his recurring role as General Thaddeus Ross in the MCU (he last appeared in this summer’s Black Widow).

Let’s also not forget how brilliant Hurt was in David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence, where he all but steals the show as Viggo Mortensen’s estranged crime boss brother. He’s only in one ten-minute scene, but he took home a well-deserved Oscar nomination, which seemed to give his career new life somewhat. Hurt remained very in demand right up to his passing, with him leaving behind several films in the can, as well as a whole animated series, Pantheon with Paul Dano, which is set to make its debut later this year on AMC. Indeed a massive loss to the entertainment industry, and we extend our best wishes to his friends and loved ones.

What’s your favorite William Hurt performance? Let us know below.