‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ actor William Hurt dies at 71

By IANS

LOS ANGELES: Actor William Hurt, who grew to become a high main man within the Nineteen Eighties by successful an Oscar for 1985’s ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’, and starring in ‘The Big Chill’ and ‘Body Heat’, has died of pure causes. Hurt died aged 71. His dying was confirmed to Variety by his pal, Gerry Byrne.

His son Will mentioned in an announcement: “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.”

Hurt was nominated for 4 Oscars over the course of his lengthy profession, scoring two greatest actor nominations for ‘Broadcast News’ and ‘Children of a Lesser God’ and a supporting actor nod for lower than 10 minutes of display time in ‘History of Violence’.

He was some of the heralded performers of the Nineteen Eighties, changing into one thing of a cerebral intercourse image and a reluctant, albeit bankable, film star. Hurt later transitioned into character roles within the Nineties and efficiently alternated between massive display initiatives and tv, scoring Emmy nominations for his work as a whistleblower in ‘Damages’ and his portrayal of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson in ‘Too Big to Fail’.

More not too long ago, Hurt grew to become well-known to a youthful era of film lovers along with his portrayal of the no-nonsense General Thaddeus Ross in 2008’s ‘The Incredible Hulk’. He later reprised the function in ‘Captain America: Civil War’ and ‘Avengers: Infinity War, ‘Avengers: Endgame’ and ‘Black Widow’.

Hurt was born March 20, 1950 in Washington, D.C. His mom, Claire Isabel, labored at Time Inc., and his father Alfred Hurt (1910-1996), was a profession bureaucrat, working for the United States Agency for International Development and the State Department. His dad and mom separated when he was six years previous, and his mom remarried Henry Luce III, son of Time Magazine writer Henry Luce.

Raised in relative privilege, Hurt went on to attend Tufts University, the place he studied theology, earlier than transferring to Juilliard to check appearing. After showing on stage, Hurt secured a lead function in ‘Altered States’, enjoying a troubled scientist in Ken Russell’s offbeat movie, a notable entry within the physique horror style.

But a yr later, Hurt achieved a brand new stage of prominence, showing reverse Kathleen Turner in ‘Body Heat’, a steamy noir that up to date the sort of treachery and double-crossing seen within the likes of ‘The Big Sleep’ and ‘Double Indemnity’ with a bracing sexuality. It reworked each performers, who positively ignited on display, into main stars.

Hurt adopted that with one other lead function in ‘Gorky Park’ and was a part of the ensemble of ‘The Big Chill’, a drama a few group of mates reuniting that grew to become a touchstone for the newborn boomer era.

That was all a lead as much as some of the gorgeous durations of dominance ever loved by a film star. From 1986 to 1988, Hurt was nominated for 3 consecutive greatest actor Oscars, successful for his portrayal of a homosexual window dresser in Hector Babenco’s ‘The Kiss of the Spider Woman’.

Roger Ebert, writing within the Chicago Sun Times, praised Hurt’s work, crediting him with creating “a character utterly unlike anyone else he has ever played”, a frankly theatrical character, exaggerated and mannered “and yet he never seems to be reaching for effects”.

His Oscar-nominated work in ‘Children of a Lesser God’ and ‘Broadcast News’, enjoying a trainer at a college for the deaf and an affable, barely dim-witted newsman, showcased his vary. The industrial and significant success of these movies rocketed Hurt to the A-list, however he did not appear to relish the celeb.

“It’s not right that my privacy is invaded to the extent that it is. I’m a very private man, and I have the right to be. I never said that because I was an actor you can have my privacy, you can steal my soul. You can’t,” Hurt instructed the New York Times throughout a 1989 interview.

Perhaps it was that aversion to notoriety that led Hurt to show some main motion pictures over the course of his profession, with the actor passing on alternatives to star within the likes of ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Misery’. His time within the highlight additionally coincided with a interval of non-public hassle for the actor, one wherein he struggled with medicine and alcohol.

“I was utterly miserable and, finally, I had been miserable enough, long enough, and I said, ‘I’m finished, I can’t hack it, can’t do it’,” Hurt instructed the Washington Post in 1989, remembering the time earlier than he went to rehab.

A relationship with Marlee Matlin, his co-star in ‘Children of a Lesser God’, was troubled. Matlin later wrote in a memoir that Hurt was emotionally and bodily abusive to her.

In an announcement on the time, Hurt, by means of a spokesperson, mentioned: “My own recollection is that we both apologised and both did a great deal to heal our lives. Of course, I did and do apologise for any pain I caused. And I know we have both grown. I wish Marlee and her family nothing but good.”

The Nineties proved to be a much less fruitful time for Hurt professionally. He earned raves for his work in ‘The Doctor’ as an smug surgeon who undergoes a change-of-heart after experiencing well being struggles, however different movies reminiscent of ‘Second Chances’ and ‘Until the End of the World’ did not generate a lot consideration.

A uncommon try at popcorn leisure with 1998’s big-screen adaptation of ‘Lost in Space’ was a modest hit, however did not earn sufficient cash to spawn a franchise and Hurt regarded depressing all through the film. He additionally appeared within the TV mini-series model of ‘Dune’, in Steven Spielberg’s ‘A.I. Artificial Intelligence’ and in M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Village’.

As the aughts dawned, Hurt, along with his blonde hair thinning, appeared to settle with supporting roles, scoring surroundings stealing turns as an urbane spy in ‘The Good Shepherd’, a demanding father in ‘Into the Wild’, and, most memorably, as a sinister mob boss in ‘A History of Violence’.

His function within the latter movie, wherein he admits to his hit man brother that “when mom brought you home from the hospital, I tried to strangle you in your crib”, was a grasp class is doing lots with somewhat little bit of display time. Hurt was married to the actress Mary Beth Hurt from 1971 to 1982 and was married to Heidi Henderson from 1989 to 1991.