Tributes Pour in For Marvel’s William Hurt After Passing Away at 71

in Marvel, Movies & TV

William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Credit: Marvel Studios

Tributes have begun pouring in from the acting community for the Oscar-winning actor, William Hurt, who has sadly passed away at the age of 71. The announcement was made by his son, Will, who shared the following statement online:

“It is with great sadness that the Hurt family mourns the passing of William Hurt, beloved father and Oscar-winning actor, on March 13, 2022, one week before his 72nd birthday,” he wrote. “He died peacefully, among family, of natural causes. The family requests privacy at this time.”

William Hurt
Credit: IGN

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Several actors and directors with whom Hurt worked during his career have already expressed their condolences via Twitter, including Bryce Dallas Howard, M. Night Shyamalan, Mark Ruffalo, and Russell Crowe.

Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) star, Bryce Dallas Howard, who starred alongside Hurt on the M. Night Shyamalan film, The Village (2004), said:

“You have to create a track record of breaking your own mold, or at least other people’s idea of that mold.” — #WilliamHurt. Rest In Peace, William Hurt”

The Village director himself, M. Night Shyamalan, has also paid tribute:

“I’m so sad to hear of the passing of William Hurt. I had the privilege of directing him in The Village. He was a master of his acting craft. Every take was new and revealing. #rip”

World-famous horror author, Stephen King, also expressed his condolences, saying:

“Very sorry to hear about the passing of William Hurt. He was a fine actor, an Academy Award winner. He also did a classic reading of my story “Low Men in Yellow Coats,” from HEARTS IN ATLANTIS. I loved hitchhiking on his immense talent.”

Incredible Hulk actor, Mark Ruffalo, who worked with Hurt on Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), said:

“Wow, another Major loss to the acting community. Great actor. Great mind. RIP”

Russell Crowe, who starred alongside Hurt in Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood (2010), had the following to say:

“William Hurt has passed. On Robin Hood, I was aware of his reputation for asking character based questions, so I had compiled a file on the life of William Marshall. He sought me out when he arrived on set. I handed him the stack. Not sure if I’ve ever seen a bigger smile. RIP.”

Marvel Studios has also paid tribute, with Hurt having played Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, The Incredible Hulk (2008),  Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Black Widow (2021):

“Rest In Peace to an amazing talent William Hurt, beloved Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in our Marvel Cinematic Universe.”

Having made his debut appearance in the 1980 science-fiction thriller, Altered States (1980), Hurt wasted no time in making an impression on the Hollywood scene, receiving a Golden Globe nomination for New Star of the Year.

Just five years later, he went on to win an Oscar, as well as Best Actor at the BAFTAs and the Cannes Film Festival, for Kiss of the Spider Woman in 1985 and was subsequently nominated for Children of a Lesser God (1986) and Broadcast News (1987).

tim roth as emil blonksy aka the abomination (right) and william hurt as general thaddeus thunderbolt ross (left)
Credit: Marvel Studios/ Universal Pictures

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Hurt starred in a number of other films during the eighties, such as Body Heat (1981), The Big Chill (1983), and Gorky Park (1983), while also enjoying a career on stage in Off-Broadway productions such as Henry V, Fifth of July, Richard II, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Over the decades that followed, Hurt appeared in numerous films, such as David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence (2005), Steven Spielberg’s AI Artificial Intelligence (2001), M Night Shyamalan’s The Village, Sean Penn’s Into the Wild (2007), and Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood.

William Hurt Into the Wild
Credit: Paramount Vantage

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No stranger to science fiction, having made his acting debut with Altered States, over the past 14 years, Hurt also played the recurring character, Thaddeus Ross, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, and starred in the British science-fiction thriller series, Humans (2015– 2018).

William Hurt is survived by his four children.

What are your favorite William Hurt movies?

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