Oscar-winning actor William Hurt, best known for his roles in 'The Incredible Hulk' and 'Kiss of the Spider Woman', has died at the age of 71.
He appeared in several films during the 1980s, and is believed to have passed away of natural causes.
Hi son has released a statement to confirming the devastating news, 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."
Hurt's passing comes just a week before his 72nd birthday, with his son stating that the award-winning actor had "died peacefully, among family, of natural causes."
Hurt is said to have studied at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York and began his acting career on stage during the 1970s - before venturing into big screen roles.
He made his film debut as troubled scientist Dr. Eddie Jessup in Altered States (1980). He received a Golden Globe nomination for his role in the science-fiction project.
The following year, he had a leading role in neo-noir Body Heat (1981), playing lawyer Ned Racine who gets caught up in an affair with Matty Tyler Walker, played by Kathleen Turner.
Hurt achieved critical acclaim for his role as prisoner Luis Molina in Kiss of the Spider Woman (1986). He won an Academy Award and a BAFTA for his performance.
It remained his only Oscar-winning role, though he was later nominated for Children of a Lesser God (1986), Broadcast News (1987), and A History of Violence (2005).
More recently, he played army general Thaddeus Ross in the MCU.
He appeared in Captain America: Civil War (2016), Infinity War (2018), Endgame (2019) and Black Widow (2021).
His other film credits include A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), The Village (2004), Syriana (2005) and Robin Hood (2010). He was nominated for numerous awards in his career.
Alongside roles on the big screen, Hurt also appeared in many TV shows. This included him playing Daniel Purcell in Damages, receiving award-nominations for the role in 2009.
Hurt's other credits on the small screen include roles in Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story (2002), Humans (2015), Beowulf (2016), Goliath (2016-2021) and Condor (2018-2020).
Tributes have begun pouring in for Hurt on social media, including from fellow actor and comedian Dane Cook - who had been one of his co-stars in thriller Mr. Brooks (2007).
He recalled spending time with Hurt in between takes, with him stating that they once spoke to each other in a "made up accent," which provided much humour for them.
Fangoria said: "RIP William Hurt. He was part of so many of our favorite movies. From ALTERED STATES, DARK CITY, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, THE VILLAGE, and many more. He will be missed."
