Stage and Screen Actor William Hurt Dies at 71

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that stage and screen actor William Hurt has died at age 71.

While best known for his roles in film, Hurt got his start on the stage in the 1970s. He appeared on Broadway in Hurlyburly in 1984, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award. Hurt also performed in various off-Broadway productions including Henry V, Fifth of July, Richard II and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

From 1977 to 1989, he was a member of The Acting Company at Circle Repertory Company. He won an Obie Award for his debut appearance there in Corinne Jacker's My Life, and won a 1978 Theatre World Award for his performances in Fifth of July, Ulysses in Traction, and Lulu.

Hurt's film debut was in the 1980 science fiction film Altered States, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination for New Star of the Year. He went on to receive three consecutive nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor, for Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), Children of a Lesser God (1986), and Broadcast News (1987). He received his fourth Academy Award nomination for role in David Cronenberg's crime thriller A History of Violence in 2005.

More recent films include A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), The Village (2004), Syriana (2005), The Good Shepherd (2006), Mr. Brooks (2007), Into the Wild (2007), and Robin Hood (2010). He is also known for his role as Thaddeus Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films.