Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Jessica Gibb & Joel Leaver

William Hurt dead: Oscar-winning actor and Marvel star dies at 71

Oscar-winning actor William Hurt has died.

The news of his passing, at the age of 71, has been shared by his son Will Hurt, who posted about his father's death earlier today, according to Deadline this evening.

The actor is best known for several films during the 1980s, though will be more recently recognisable for his recurring appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

His son said in a statement: "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."

William Hurt played army general Thaddeus Ross in several Marvel projects (Getty Images for Amazon Studios)

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 starred alongside Kathleen Turner in Body Heat (Corbis via Getty Images)

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).

He was best known for films in the 1980s, before appearing in the MCU (Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images)
Hurt won an Oscar for his role in Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) (WireImage)

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), Goliath (2016-2021) and Condor (2018-2020).

His other credits include a lead role in TV miniseries Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story in 2002 (CBS via Getty Images)

Tributes have poured in for Hurt, including from fellow MCU actor Mark Ruffalo. He tweeted: "Wow, another major loss to the acting community. Great actor, great mind. RIP."

Piers Morgan took to Twitter earlier to share his thoughts on the late actor, with him writing in his post: "RIP William Hurt, 71. Terrific actor, loved him in Broadcast News."

Topher Grace - who starred alongside Hurt in Too Big to Fail (2011) - wrote: "Grateful that I had the opportunity to work with William Hurt. I admired his acting so much and watching his commitment in person as remarkable."

He was nominated for numerous awards during his career for both TV and film work (Getty Images)
His passing has been described as a 'major loss' for the acting community (Jim Spellman/WireImage)

Former co-star Rebecca Front said: "So sad to hear William Hurt has died. He was a truly brilliant actor. Filming scenes with him in Humans was like having a front row seat at a masterclass."

In his tribute, author Don Winslow said: "Honestly, I never saw a bad performance from William Hurt. Not once." He said the actor had a "remarkable career" in the industry.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.