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