William Hurt (1950-2022)
Monday, March 14, 2022 at 11:00PM by Nathaniel R
Hurt as I remember him.
I read with total shock yesterday the news that William Hurt had passed away of cancer. There's something about growing up watching famous actors that ties your own ideas about time to their legacy, however loosely. When I heard the news I thought "Noooo he was so young!" before realizing that he was just shy of his 72nd birthday and not the handsome entirely fictional thin-haired 40something actor that I realized I pictured him as, a slightly aged version of his smoldering but callow young beauty, perhaps informed by the wearier sinister bald character actor of his later years. But William Hurt was actually 71 when cancer took him. So why had William Hurt become frozen in time for me? The answer lies not just in my own cinephilia but in the very distinct phases of his career...
I dont recall when I first fell hard for William Hurt but I believe it was watching his Oscar win on TV since my years as a baby cinephile were very closely connected to discovering and becoming obsessed with movies through the Oscar ceremony since I wasn't allowed to see many of the R rated movies they'd honor. That's what the video store was for in the back half of the 1980s.
So if William Hurt was in fact already just about 72 than I am definitely not the baby cinephile who used to cut up magazines to make scrapbooks of my favourite stars. Yes, that sounds like a 1950s activity but kids were still doing it in the late 80s and early 1990s before the internet, I promise! In what was surely a tiny seed-like version of the Film Experience, I made a whole giant scrapbook called "Movies of the 1980s" with sections for each film year as well as sections for Favourite Actors and Favourite Actresses, ranked naturally; I imagine I was ranking even in the womb, perhaps numbering favourite tummy kicks or noises from the outside before I learned what "numbers" were.
His screen debut in the sci-fi body horror film Altered States (1980)
Naturally the actresses got more pages but William Hurt sat proudly near the top of the smaller Actor section, one of very few men to get a whole two page to himself. I forget who else did because even then I was an actressexual though Nick Davis and were still years away from meeting and coining the term. Sadly this time-capsule scrapbook (which would undoubtedly be hilarious to photograph and share) was lost to the ravages of the elements and time after sitting in my parents garage or moving between storage units or what not.
But back to William Hurt.
Hurt was born William McChord Hurt (how's that for a blueblood name?) and made a name for himself on the stage after graduating from Juillard, winning an Obie and a Theatre World Award in the 1970s in his twenties. It didn't take long for Hollywood to come calling. He made his film debut with a leading role in Ken Russell's trippy sci-fi drama Altered States (1980).
It's impossible to convey how sexy this screen pairing was. BODY HEAT (1981) has to be seen to be believed. Hurt and Turner would co-star again in The Accidental Tourist.
His fame and acclaim grew hand-in-hand and swiftly, too, following the release of the hit erotic noir Body Heart (1981) in which he and Kathleen Turner had the kind of enormously horny and naked sexual affair that is no longer to be found on movie theaters outside of a rare foreign art film here or there. In 1983 he had another much much bigger hit with the ensemble drama Big Chill (1983) starring a whos who of rising thirtysomething "prestige" actors (including Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, and Kevin Kline) . By the mid 1980s he was both a Tony nominated Actor (Hurlyburly, 1985) and one of Hollywood's A list leading men, scoring three consecutive Oscar nominations with Kiss of the Spider-Woman (1985, for which he won), Children of a Lesser God (1986), and Broadcast News (1987).
WILLIAM HURT'S FIVE BEST PICTURE NOMINATED FILMS
THE BIG CHILL (1983)
KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN (1985)
CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD (1986)
BROADCAST NEWS (1987)
THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST (1988)
Though he wasn't nominated a fourth consecutive time for The Accidental Tourist (1988), he probably came close since the quirky drama marked his fifth major role in a Best Picture nominee in a six year spread of time. It's surely lost on young Oscar nuts how exceptionally rare that kind of run is in in any frame of time prior to the expanded Best Picture era we've been living in for the past 14 years.
Marlee Matlin and William Hurt on Oscar night March 30th,1987. He reportedly berated her in the limo after her win with "what makes you think you deserved it?"
Curiously Hurt's leading man years seemed to end with the close of 80s as abruptly as they had begun at the start of the decade, marking him distinctly as a "1980s" star. I don't recall how or why his star fell -- anyone? -- so perhaps it was tied to his reportedly troubled personal life. In addition to reported drug use, he had a volatile romantic life divorcing the actress Mary Beth Hurt in the early 80s and going on to have children with three different women across the 80s and early 90s, including the great French actress Sandrine Bonnaire. In the mid 80s he famously had a volatile two year relationship with Marlee Matlin that she characterized in her 2009 memoir as being physically abusive including sexual assault. Hurt publicly apologized for any hurt he had caused in a statement immediately following the memoir's release.
At the Critics Choice Awards last night, Matlin was thoughtful and diplomatic telling a reporter from ET Canada:
“We’ve lost a really great actor and working with him on set in ‘Children of a Lesser God’ will always be something I remember very fondly. He taught me a great deal as an actor and he was one-of-a-kind.”
In the 1990s, during his fortysomething years, the films and roles were suddenly smaller, less mainstream, and markedly less successful, critically or otherwise. Perhaps this accounts for why he became so frozen in time in this cinephile's mind?
In a decade of minor films there was one hit, the now forgotten John Travolta fantasy Michael (1996) but in 1998 things began to change again with three films that were successful albeit in small ways. He was in the cast of Dark City which developed a minor cult following, he was paired with Meryl Streep and Renée Zellweger in One True Thing (though it was only Streep that got attention as per usual), and he played the dad in a would be franchise that didn't light the world on fire (Lost in Space) but was at least very high profile... something he hadn't had for most of the decade.
As Richie Cusack in A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (2005)
He made a critical comeback in the 2000s with a very buzzy small role as a dangerous mafia boss in A History of Violence (2005) which brought his fourth and final Oscar nomination. One of my early claim to fames as a pundit was predicting him despite no precursor attention beyond an NYFCC and LAFCA wins. He chased that honor with another well received film, Into the Wild (2007). In 2008, the very infancy of the MCU, he began to play General Thaddeus Ross starting with The Incredible Hulk. He would reprise that role in several more Marvel films (albeit in much smaller doses). Though he had reportedly signed for three new movies and a TV series before his death, his last film proved to be the poorly received Pierce Brosnan fantasy The King's Daughter (2022).
As general Thaddeus Ross in BLACK WIDOW (2021), his last appearance in the MCU
With one very happy exception (A History of Violence) his late performances never reached the thrilling heights of his first decade of film work. But it happens like that for some movie stars and there shouldn't be shame in that; short-lived greatness is still greatness. Being frozen in time has its advantages, including screen immortality since in the end even the greats leave us.
Our thoughts go out to Hurt's four kids in this difficult time but for those of us who only knew him from the movies, we'll always have his early classics, an incredible run of projects that would be the envy of many actors and that he rewarded with thoughtful creative actorly turns with a healthy does of movie-star magnetism thrown in.
Reader Comments (26)
That voice!
My big 3 for him are:
The Big Chill - which I saw and fell for at a relatively young age, and between him, Berenger and Kline, that movie really gives a baby gay all the kinds of 80s white hunk.
The Accidental Tourist - as a budding Oscar-phile, I had an early connection to the '88 supporting actress list, so I was probably the only 13-year old in my neighborhood with a VHS copy of this. He and Geena are very moving together.
A History of Violence - the first performer nominated for a Cronenberg movie (my fave director), and a fantastic, genuinely supporting part.
Naturally, eventually, I saw Broadcast and Body Heat, and truly figured out what all the fuss was about.
RIP to an '80s giant.
I'm so not ready to say goodbye to the best generation of American actors.
loved him in body heat/big chill/broadcast news - anything starting with a b, obviously
when i read his obituary yesterday i was surprised to learn of his marvel connection; i assumed he'd retired after into the wild
I think I'd read that Hurt was notoriously difficult to work with in addition to having a turbulent, abusive personal life. Matlin was not his only romantic partner whom he'd assaulted.
Yesterday, it was Hurt and today, Scott Hall aka Razor Ramon. This is a really bummer few days right now.
I think one of his most underrated performances is in Until the End of the World which I watched a few years ago and I own the complete version of the film on DVD as he is really awesome in that film.
Another performance of his that I love is in I Love You to Death as a stoner hitman with Keanu Reeves as it was so unexpected of him but he and Keanu made me laugh. The scene where they are about to whack an unconscious Kevin Kline with a bat only see that the bat was signed by Reggie Jackson as they kept chanting "Reggie, Reggie, Reggie". I died laughing over that moment.
I love him in A History of Violence as well.... "how do you fuck that up? HOW DO YOU FUCK THAT UP?!!!!!!"
Thanks William. You rock man!
"per ususal" ....
Thanks Nathaniel, first for evoking the 1980's so perfectly, and secondly, for taking the time to remember William Hurt's impact on film in that same decade.
I believe I saw Altered States first, but it was "Body Heat" that really seared both Hurt and Kathleen Turner into my brain.
After that, what a run he had. Even though it's probably not politically correct, I admired "Kiss of the Spider Woman". But I guess "Broadcast News" is my favourite film role for Hurt.
Note that in a way Hurt had a film career more typical of an actress. 10 top years, and then once he hit 40 the leading roles ended, and character roles began. I did a double take yesterday when I saw his age.
The Eighties is a much maligned decade, it gave us some great film-making. (and great film fans as well)
Both actors whom I saw starring opposite Jeff Daniels in Lanford Wilson's Fifth of July are now gone: Hurt, in the original production at Circle Rep (1978), and Christopher Reeve, in the Broadway run at the New Apollo (1980). They were both excellent in the role, though completely different, as you can imagine.
For years I thought Hurt was replaced by Reeve because of his Superman star power, but as it turns out Body Heat began shooting in Florida the week Fifth of July opened. (And Altered States opened the following month.)
R.I.P.
Great post. Incredible actor. I've recently watched Body Heat and was very impressed.
Love how he got a nomination for A History of Violence for like one scene. Legend.
Not a big fan of Broadcast News, The Accidental Tourist or A.I. but Hurt is never the fault in those movies.
William Hurt was indeed a wonderful presence in films: the voice, the gait, the pulled back hair. He was uniformly good in all of his film appearances but I'd like to give a shout-out to his Arkady Renko in Gorky Park with Joanna Pacula. I still love that scene in the snow where he said: "Fine, fine. Now we'll both freeze".
His under-discussed screen appearances that I love: The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby opposite Isabelle Huppert; Damages on FX with Glenn Close; The Doctor opposite Elizabeth Perkins and Christine Lahti; and in Istvan Szabo's Sunshine.
I just rewatched The Doctor (1991), his last great turn in his decade-long streak, and it was fantastic. I love the sureness Randa Haines brings to this medical melodrama. Easily worthy of an Oscar nomination -- the Chicago critics gave him that citation -- but then again, 1991 was a stacked year for actors.
Great Actor and one of the best Actor winner of the 80's for me.
His downturn post 89 is interesting,His 80's films are classics hits and in some way or another or had cultural impact.
Body Heat the noir feel plus Turner on the rise
The Big Chill an announcement film of hot young things.
KOTSW the first actor to win for paying a gay man.
COALG the first time a hard of hearing person won an Oscar and the non nom for Hines
He delivered one of my favorite lines ever, in M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village" :
"The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe."
RIP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YacEuni8kRQ
Owl: Good call for Gorky Park, I find that one pretty underrated and not sure why it didn't get more awards traction.
One of my all time favorite actors and one of the sexiest men of American cinema. I agree with Par about the three B's: Body Heat, The Big Chill, Broadcast News.
He was such a great "actress's actor," going toe to toe with women at the absolute top of their game. The same can't be said about a lot of "great" actors who don't like to share the spotlight in such a generous "secondary lead" way. He, Michael Douglas and Richard Gere always stand out to me for that—totally fearless about sharing the screen with women who dominate.
Beautifully written as always Nathaniel❤
My first sight of him was in Altered States at the theater. His taut naked body made such an impression on me at that young age!
His run in the 80s is one of the most glorious ever for a screen actor.
Owl, thank you for bringing up Eleanor Rigby. I adore that film but OMG, I even forgot he was in it.
What a loss.
I was so moved by his work in Kiss of the Spider Woman. it took balls to dare, at that time, to play a gay man, and then to play one who was so feminine and melodramatic, was a big eye opener to me. Raul Julia was wonderful as well. It wasn't until I read the novel that I realized what a wonderful job they did in the screenplay. And he had some interesting competition for the Oscar, specifically Jack Nicholson in Prizzi's Honor, doing wonderful voice work.
This by far is the best tribute I've seen so far since our beautiful, amazing William Hurt tragically left us. I am an extremely huge admirer of his so I've been following him as best I could and am absolutely devastated by his passing. Knowing what I know about him, I'd had a deep fear the past 2 weeks that this was going to happen. I'd been googling him for those 2 weeks multiple times a day looking for news about him. Sadly, my fears came to fruition and my heart is now in pieces. He was one of the absolute best actors in the history of film making. Physically, he was a sight to behold. As a person, he was extremely complicated. Yes, he had his dark demons. But his intelligence and high intellect combined with his acting prowess and physical beauty, made him that much more attractive to me. So much so, that I could put aside his dark attributes and focus on the better qualities he possessed. No person is perfect. And excessive alcohol consumption can sometimes make even the best people do ugly things. But to me, that doesn't cancel out a person if they've tried hard to change and better themselves, which Bill did work hard to do. I am completely crushed by his passing. Thank you so much for this wonderful, wide ranging tribute. I will miss Bill terribly. RIP my sweet prince. 😞😞😞😞💔💔💔💔
Hurt always brought such intensity to his parts and I really love how he often worked again with his female costars (Weaver in Eyewitness and Hurlyburly, Turner in Body Heat and The Accidental Tourist, Close in The Big Chill and Damages, and Hunter in Broadcast News and Bonnie & Clyde), so he must have been a real professional while working, but professional geniuses often have personal demons, and, as awful as he was to Matlin (not to mention first wife Mary Beth Hurt and then to Sandra Jennings as well), I'm glad both got through that time and don't think those episodes should define him. And prostate cancer is a rough way to go. Grateful for the acting legacy he leaves behind.
Great actor with a complicated legacy.
You covered all of his great roles, but I will note that he was wonderful in Damages. He had a supporting role on that show's second season, and really got to have some great scenes with Glenn Close.
Great remembrance of a complicated figure. I think in addition to his stardom being so concentrated in the 1980s, the other reason his death struck me as so surprising is that we still have so many greats who are even 10-15 years older still putting out great work. Remarkably of the winners of the last 44 Best Actor Oscars, 40 are still with us (only Fonda, Newman, Phil Hoffman, and Hurt are gone).
Beautiful words.
Hurt is a very interesting actor.
What he does in "The Accidental Tourist" - for me his greatest performance - is rare and extraordinary.
Nathaniel,
Being a "cinephile baby" like you, I'm curious: how old were you when "it all started and changed everything"?
Beautiful tribute. I only just recently saw both Broadcast News and Children of a Lesser God for the first time in the last couple of years, and he was so good in both I couldn't believe what I'd missed in all those years.
Hard to know what to think of the man, all in all, but as an actor, he was one of the finest of his generation.
It's wild to think of the parallel (movie career) paths that William Hurt and Kathleen Turner had in the '80s: Both broke out big at the very beginning of the decade, burned white hot during the middle of it, and saw their fortunes in leading roles fade by the end of it. Turner, to her credit, diversified and turned increasingly to the stage. It's interesting that Hurt didn't do likewise, largely eschewing the theater where he got his start.
Anyway, I have a real soft spot for Hurt in 1991's The Doctor, which really showcased him (and Elizabeth Perkins) to poignant effect. (Reteaming with his Children of a Lesser God director was a wise move on his part.) #RIP
A fine appreciation. He was a favorite actor of mine in the 90s (I fell in love with cinema in 1992, at the age of 17), as I discovered his 80s work. To this day, I maintain that he should’ve won the Oscar for Children of a Lesser God. I was obsessed with Jane Eyre in high school and was certain he would be perfect as Rochester. So when Zeffirelli cast him in the role, I was over the moon, only to be disappointed in his performance. Perhaps he would’ve been brilliant in the part under another’s direction? He’ll always be the leading man of the 80s for me.