William Hurt, ‘The Big Chill’ & ‘Broadcast News’ Actor, Dies At 71

Actor William Hurt, best known as a leading man in hugely popular films of the 1980s, has died on Sunday from natural causes at the age of 71. According to his son, the actor passed away at his home one week before his 72nd birthday. He was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in May of 2018.

While the height of his popularity was in the 80s and early 90s, Hurt worked consistently through his whole career, even after getting sick. Two of his biggest credits were The Big Chill and Broadcast News. He became known to modern audiences as general Thaddeus Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who he played in five films from 2008 to 2021.

He was also accused of being physically and emotionally abusive to his former Children of a Lesser God co-star Marlee Martin during their year-long relationship in the mid-80s. She said in her 2009 autobiography that she “had fresh bruises every day,” when they were together and that they both abused drugs and alcohol.

When asked about the claims, Hurt had said, “My own recollection is that we both apologized and both did a great deal to heal our lives. Of course, I did and do apologize for any pain I caused. And I know we have both grown. I wish Marlee and her family nothing but good.”

William McChord Hurt was born March 20, 1950, in Washington D.C. to Claire Isabel (née McGill), and Alfred McChord Hurt. His parents would divorce when Hurt was young, and he moved around frequently and even spent time living in Mogadishu and Lahore with his father, a State Department employee.

He was educated at the Juilliard School, where he graduated in 1976. He got his start in the theater and with some television appearances, but his leading roles in the films Altered States and Body Heat kickstarted his career boom. After winning an Oscar for Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Hurt was nominated for the Best Actor award two more years in a row for subsequent parts in Children of a Lesser God and Broadcast News.

While he transitioned more into supporting roles once his leading roles in the 80s were up, Hurt still had many memorable performances left in him. This included a performance in 2005’s A History of Violence that would earn him a Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for just ten minutes of total screentime.

Through the 2000s and 2010s, Hurt saw a career resurgence with his first Marvel role in the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk, and acclaimed TV performances in shows such as Damages and Too Big To Fail.

Hurt was married to Mary Beth Hurt from 1971 to 1982, and to Heidi Henderson from 1989 to 1991. He is survived by four children: Alexander, William, Samuel, and Jeanne.