Death of actor William Hurt, familiar face of American cinema

The comedian, who built his reputation on the incarnation of eccentric and unusual characters, had been oscarized in 1985 for his interpretation in “the kiss of the spider woman”. He died on Sunday at the age of 71.

Le Monde with AFP

The American actor William Hurt, known for his roles in popular movies like the friends first (The Big Chill) died, Sunday, March 13, at the age of 71.

“It is with great sadness that the hurry family cries the death of William Hurt, a beloved father and an oscarized actor, on March 13, 2022, a week before his 72 e birthday” , writes his son Will in a statement published by several media. “He died peacefully, with family, natural causes,” he continues.

In May 2018, the actor had been diagnosed with prostate cancer at an incurable stage. His son, however, did not specify whether it was this disease that won.

William Hurt has built his reputation on his incarnation of eccentric and unusual characters, like a Russian policeman in Gorky Park (1983), a rich and distant husband in Alice of Woody Allen (1990), and a Man with project to build a machine that would benefit the blind in the end of the world (the End of the World) (1991).

“The Oscar isolated me”

His first role in the cinema had been that of a scientist obsessed in the film beyond the real (Altered States) of Ken Russell (1980). The 1980s were marked by its torrid interpretation alongside Kathleen Turner in the Body Heat fever, his sensitive service in the children of silence (Children of a Lesser GOD) and especially the Oscar of the best stolen actor in 1985 For the role of a gay prisoner in the kiss of the spider woman (Kiss of the Spider Woman).

“The Oscar isolated me”, he deplored the Telegraph in 2004. “It was the opposite of what I wanted. I did not want a sign on me saying” he won the ‘Oscar, it’s for him. “I wanted to be an actor, so it disturbed me a lot. And sometimes I am still.”

The rhythm of his career has never truly braked. In particular, it appeared towards the end of his career in several Marvel movies, as well as in episodes of the television series Damages and Goliath.

Despite his growing notoriety, William Hurt declared himself not to recognize himself in the Hollywood lifestyle. “I’m not comfortable with all that. I’m not comfortable with walking on the red carpet in tuxedo, and see all the women with their casualties and all men dressed in Penguins, “he explained in an interview.

His private life was very hollywood. He had married the actress then beginner Mary Beth Supinger and had followed him in London, but had divorced back to New York. He had a child with the Ballet dancer Sandra Jennings, two others during another wedding, and a girl, Jeanne, with the French actress Sandrine Bonnaire he had met on the filming of the movie La Peste (1992) .

/Media reports.