William Hurt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William Hurt
Hurt signing autographs at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	William McChord Hurt (1950-03-20)March 20, 1950 Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died	March 13, 2022(2022-03-13) (aged 71) Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Education	Middlesex School
Alma mater	Tufts University (BA) Juilliard School (GrDip)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1977–2022
Spouse(s)	Mary Beth Hurt ​ ​ (m. 1971; div. 1982)​ Heidi Henderson ​ ​ (m. 1989; div. 1992)​
Partner(s)	Sandra Jennings (1981–1984) Marlee Matlin (1985–1986) Sandrine Bonnaire (1992–1997)
Children	4

William McChord Hurt (March 20, 1950 – March 13, 2022) was an American actor. He was known for his many roles in movies and on stage. William Hurt studied acting at the Juilliard School and started performing in plays in the 1970s.

He made his first movie in 1980, a science-fiction film called Altered States. He then starred in the movie Body Heat in 1981. William Hurt was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor three times in a row. He won the award for his role in Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985). He was also nominated for Children of a Lesser God (1986) and Broadcast News (1987).

William Hurt continued to act on stage throughout the 1980s. He appeared in plays like Henry V and A Midsummer Night's Dream. He was also nominated for a Tony Award in 1985 for the play Hurlyburly. Later in his career, he received another Academy Award nomination for his role in A History of Violence (2005). He also played General Thaddeus Ross in several Marvel Cinematic Universe films.

Early Life and Education

William Hurt was born on March 20, 1950, in Washington, D.C. His mother, Claire Isabel, worked at Time Inc., and his father, Alfred McChord Hurt, worked for the U.S. government. Because of his father's job, William lived in different countries like Lahore, Mogadishu, and Khartoum when he was young.

He went to Middlesex School, where he was very active in the drama club. He often played the main character in school plays. After graduating in 1968, he went to Tufts University to study theology. However, he soon decided to become an actor instead. He then joined the Juilliard School, a famous performing arts school. Two of his classmates there were future actors Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams.

Acting Career Highlights

William Hurt started his acting career on stage before moving into movies. From 1977 to 1989, he was part of the Circle Repertory Company. He won an Obie Award for his first play there, My Life.

His first big movie role was in the science-fiction film Altered States, where he played a scientist. He became a star after his role in Body Heat with Kathleen Turner. He also starred in The Big Chill (1983).

In 1985, William Hurt won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Kiss of the Spider Woman. He also won the Best Male Performance Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for the same movie. He was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar two more times in a row, for Children of a Lesser God (1986) and Broadcast News (1987).

William Hurt often played smart characters in movies like Lost in Space. But he also showed his talent in different kinds of roles, such as in A History of Violence (2005). In this movie, he played a mob boss, even though he was only on screen for a short time. He also appeared in Syriana, a drama about oil politics.

He was in a TV miniseries based on Stephen King's stories called Nightmares and Dreamscapes. In one episode, "Battleground," he played a hitman with no dialogue.

In 2007, Marvel Studios announced that William Hurt would play General Thaddeus Ross in the movie The Incredible Hulk (2008). He played this character again in other Marvel movies, including Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Black Widow (2021).

He also appeared in Into the Wild, a true story about Christopher McCandless. In 2009, he joined the TV series Damages and was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role. He played Henry Paulson in the HBO film Too Big to Fail (2010) and Captain Ahab in a TV version of Moby-Dick (2011).

Personal Life

William Hurt was married to Mary Beth Hurt from 1971 to 1982. He later married Heidi Henderson from 1989 to 1992. He had four children.

He enjoyed flying planes and owned a Beechcraft Bonanza. He was also fluent in French and had a home near Paris.

In May 2018, it was announced that William Hurt had prostate cancer. He passed away from complications of the disease on March 13, 2022, at his home in Portland, Oregon, at the age of 71.

Filmography

Film

Television

Audiobook Narration

See also

In Spanish: William Hurt para niños