Legendary actor William Hurt died peacefully at the age of 71, according to Variety. His friend Gerry Byrne confirmed his death. The actor is most recognized for his Oscar-winning portrayal in Kiss of a Spider Woman (1985), as well as appearances in Broadcast News, David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence, and Children of a Lesser God. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Actor for the last two performances.
The actor died of advanced prostate cancer that had spread to his bones since 2018. The Hurt family was grieving the death of William Hurt, a cherished father, according to William Hurt’s son, Will. The Oscar-winning actor died one week short of his 72nd birthday on March 13, 2022. According to the family, he passed away peacefully and was surrounded by his loved ones in his final hours.
The Early Life of the Future Legend:
Hurt, who was born in 1950 in Washington, DC, studied theology at Tufts University. But, as it came to be, he was destined for something else. He enrolled in Julliard School’s drama section to pursue his passion for acting. Hurt began his acting career in theatre. His first actual movie role was in Ken Russell’s sci-fi thriller, Altered States. He played an obsessive scientist in this film and received a lot of praise for it. Shortly after, he got his first taste of success in the film Body Heat, in which he co-starred with Kathleen Turner. Hurt quickly rose to prominence in the 1980s. From 1971 until 1982, Hurt was married to Mary Beth Hurt, then from 1989 to 1992, he was married to Heidi Henderson.
The Catapult into Superstardom:
Following Body Heat, William Hurt starred in Lawrence Kasdan’s The Big Chill. In another Kasdan movie The Accidental Tourist, he starred beside Turner once more. Hurt won the Cannes Film Festival’s Best Male Performance Award and the Academy Award for Best Actor for Kiss of the Spider Woman in 1985. He was also nominated for three more Academy Awards: Best Actor for Children of a Lesser God and Broadcast News, as well as Best Supporting Actor for A History of Violence. Hurt was often portrayed as an intellectual in films like Lost in Space, but he was equally good in other elements of the work, such as his work in I Love You to Death and the miniseries version of Stephen King‘s Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Battleground.
MCU’s “Thunderbolt” Ross:
General Thaddeus E. “Thunderbolt” Ross, commonly known as the Red Hulk, is a character that appears in Marvel Comics’ Hulk series. William Hurt played Ross beautifully in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Screenwriter Christopher Markus previously revealed that Red Hulk’s inclusion in Avengers: Endgame was briefly discussed again and that the character might evolve in the future. Hurt expressed it himself, “I wouldn’t mind feeling like I had that much power… I created Thaddeus’ ego with the same size as the monster’s. With the same degree of messed up-ness. I’d take a shot at it”. Director James Gunn also once indicated an interest in directing a picture starring both the Hulk and the Red Hulk, but the concept was never developed owing to Universal Pictures’ disputes.
On a related note: Mark Ruffalo praises Tatiana Maslany’s work in She-Hulk; says “I’m Passing the “Banner” On to Her”
Orphan Black star Tatiana Maslany will play Bruce Banner‘s cousin Jennifer Walters, a.k.a. the amazing She-Hulk, in her own Disney+ series from Marvel Studios this year, bringing a new Hulk to the MCU. “Tatiana Maslany as the She-Hulk is frickin’ legendary,” Ruffalo remarked, “Tatiana Maslany is frickin’ legendary as the She-Hulk. I’m passing the banner onto her. There are some really good, funny, cool, long, long scenes between Professor and her. We’ve never really seen the Hulk interact with people the way he does in that show. It’ll be really interesting.”
