William Hurt Dies At 71; Acclaimed Actor Was Home In Portland

PORTLAND, OR — In 1986, he was nominated as Best Actor for "Kiss of the Spider Woman." In 1987, he was again nominated for Best Actor, that time for "Children of a Lesser God." The year after that, he was back on the shortlist — that time for "Broadcast News."

That actor was William Hurt, who died Sunday at his home in Portland. He was 71 years old.

"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, one week before his 72nd birthday," his son Will posted in a statement first reported by Deadline.

"He died peacefully, among family, of natural causes. The family requests privacy at this time."

Hurt had been diagnosed four years ago with prostate cancer.

Hurt, who was born in Washington, D.C, was the son of a State Department employee and a woman who worked for Time Magazine. The marriage didn't work, and Hurt's mother ended up remarrying.

While a student at Tufts University, he started acting and was soon accepted into the prestigious Juilliard School.

In 1971, he married Mary Beth Hurt, the actress, though the marriage would end when he entered a relationship with another woman with whom he had a daughter.

In 1975, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival hired him for a run as Edmund in "Long Day's Journey into Night."

That started a great run for Hurt as a stage actor, getting acclaim for roles in plays such as "Fifth of July" and "Hurlyburly."

In 1980, he broke into film, garnering the lead in "Altered States."

That was followed by a streak of roles in films including "Body Heat," "Eyewitness," "The Big Chill," "The Avengers: Endgame" and more.

He is survived by three sons, a daughter and two grandchildren.