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| Edited By: DNA Web Team |Source: DNA Web Desk |Updated: Mar 14, 2022, 04:00 PM IST
William Hurt, an Oscar-winning actor known for his roles in movies such as ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ and ‘Broadcast News’, died on Sunday at the age of 71, according to Deadline. “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”, the actor’s son, Will, said in a statement obtained by Deadline.
Hurt, who studied at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City, emerged as one of the most celebrated leading men of the 1980s, earning three Academy Award best actor nominations for his roles in 1985’s ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’, 1986’s ‘Children of a Lesser God’, and 1987’s ‘Broadcast News’. He won the Oscar for his portrayal of a homosexual man who shared a prison cell with a political prisoner in Brazil in the 1985 drama film.
Hurt received his fourth and final Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in ‘A History of Violence’, a crime thriller released in 2005. More recently, he played General Thaddeus Ross in 2008’s ‘The Incredible Hulk’, a recurring role he would reprise in later superhero films based on Marvel Comics including ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ ‘Avengers: Endgame’ and ‘Black Widow’.
Mark Ruffalo, who played Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, mourned his loss as he tweeted, “Wow, another Major loss to the acting community. Great actor. Great mind. RIP”. Even Marvel Studios tweeted his picture and wrote, “Rest In Peace to an amazing talent William Hurt, beloved Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in our Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
Rest In Peace to an amazing talent William Hurt, beloved Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in our Marvel Cinematic Universe. pic.twitter.com/ituAUTRbsq
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) March 13, 2022
Russell Crowe, Hurt’s co-star from the 2010 action film ‘Robin Hood’, also paid his tribute as he tweeted, “William Hurt has passed. On Robin Hood, I was aware of his reputation for asking character based questions, so I had compiled a file on the life of William Marshall. He sought me out when he arrived on set. I handed him the stack. Not sure if I’ve ever seen a bigger smile. RIP.”
William Hurt has passed. On Robin Hood, I was aware of his reputation for asking character based questions, so I had compiled a file on the life of William Marshall. He sought me out when he arrived on set. I handed him the stack. Not sure if I’ve ever seen a bigger smile. RIP.
— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) March 13, 2022
The actor had disclosed in 2018 that he had been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer which had spread to the bone, although at the time he credited an alternative form of chemotherapy with saving his life, according to media reports. Hurt’s death was also confirmed to Variety by his friend, Gerry Byrne.
(With inputs from Reuters)