Photo: GabboT / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
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.
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
- Occupation
- film actor / voice actor / stage actor / television actor / film producer
2. Background
- 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
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was William Hurt born?
March 20, 1950 – March 13, 2022.
Where is William Hurt from?
William Hurt is from Washington, D.C., United States.
What does William Hurt do?
William Hurt works as film actor, voice actor, stage actor, television actor, film producer.
Film actor — see all → · Voice actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.