Academy Award-Winning Actor William Hurt Dies at 71: Family

William Hurt, the actor known for “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” died at age 71, according to his son.

“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 died peacefully, among family, of natural causes. The family requests privacy at this time,” his son, Will, said in a statement on Sunday to multiple news outlets.

Hurt was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor three times in the 1980s, including for 1985’s “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” 1986’s “Children of a Lesser God,” and 1987’s “Broadcast News.” He won an Oscar for “Kiss of the Spider Woman.”

Despite his 1980s stardom, Hurt appeared not to relish the limelight.

“It’s not right that my privacy is invaded to the extent that it is,” Hurt told the New York Times in 1989. “I’m a very private man, and I have the right to be. I never said that because I was an actor you can have my privacy, you can steal my soul. You can’t.”

He was also nominated for an Academy Award for 2005’s “A History of Violence.”

According to his IMDB page, he appeared in “A.I. Artificial Intelligence,” “The Village,” “Syriana,” “The Good Shepherd,” “Mr. Brooks,” “Into the Wild,” and “Robin Hood.”

He also played General Thaddeus Ross in 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk” and reprised that role in the Marvel films “Captain America: Civil War,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame,” and “Black Widow.”