William Hurt

William Hurt was an American actor whose leading roles helped define a strand of adult Hollywood drama in the 1980s. His films included Body Heat, The Big Chill, Children of a Lesser God and Broadcast News, and he won the Academy Award for best actor for Kiss of the Spider Woman.

He later became increasingly prominent in supporting roles. His brief appearance as a crime boss in David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence earned another Oscar nomination, while his work as Thaddeus Ross brought him into Marvel’s superhero films. Across these different settings, Hurt developed a screen presence combining intellectual reserve with emotional vulnerability.