My Take
William Hurt was one of those actors who made intellectual cool look effortless, and I genuinely think he's underappreciated by younger audiences who weren't around for his 1980s peak. His run in that decade was remarkable — Kiss of the Spider Woman, Broadcast News, Children of a Lesser God — all within a few years, and each performance completely different. Winning the Oscar, the BAFTA, and Cannes best actor all for the same role is a rare hat-trick that very few careers can claim. Later in life he slipped into supporting work and franchise films like the Marvel universe, and while those weren't his finest hours, you could always feel the craft underneath. He passed just days before his 72nd birthday, and I think his legacy still deserves a proper reappraisal.
Overview
William McChord Hurt (March 20, 1950 – March 13, 2022) was an American actor. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he received various accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor, in addition to nominations for five Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- William Hurt
- Name (Japanese)
- ウィリアム・ハート
- Reading
- うぃりあむ・はーと
- Born
- March 20, 1950 – March 13, 2022
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Tiger
- Origin
- Washington, D.C., United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- film actor / voice actor / stage actor / television actor / film producer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Tufts University
Awards & achievements
- 1986 BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
- 1986 Academy Award for Best Actor
- 1985 National Board of Review Award for Best Actor
- 1985 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
- 1985 Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor
- 1986 London Film Critics Circle Award for Actor of the Year
- 1986 David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actor
- 1986 BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.