I thought his acting was below average, but at times he was OK. He was comically bad in Lost In Space, but it is so clear he did not care.
My first memory of him is Broadcast News. He’s the reason I’ve been saying ‘I’d really a lot appreciate it’ for the past 35 years. I think he was better suited to his later, supporting ‘character actor’ roles than the leading man parts he had early in his career. And yah, 71 isn’t young, but it’s too young to die.
Accidental Tourist
Yes, that was my first recollection, he was perfect
I’d forgotten about that one. The part suited him well.
The line from that movie that I’ve been quoting for the last 35 years is, “Call if you get weird.”
I don’t remember that one, but there was also: Ok, I’ll meet you at the place near the thing where we went that time. Sounds kinda Seinfeldy.
Also, I just realized it’s the movie with the Albert Brooks sweating scene. Now I want to see it again. I bet it’s not on Netflix.
My line is what Albert Brooks and Holly Hunter used to say to each other when parting.
Here is an article about the unconventional treatment he got for the prostate cancer in 2018:
He was also, in his personal life, an absolute shitbag.
It’s probably going to be very awkward to be Marlee Matlin sitting in the Oscars audience (she’s likely to be there in support of Coda, which has a couple of high-profile nominations) watching Hurt getting his enthusiastic round of “in memoriam” applause with zero mention of how horribly he treated her.
I held back saying anything, but if his substance abuse issues and treatment of fellow actors/lovers is fair game, surely his acting is.
I know some will disagree with me to such a degree that this will color anything else I have to say about movies or acting, but. . .I think William Hurt was the human equivalent of white bread and mayo. Bland and boring. I groaned inwardly when I saw he was in any movie was wanted to see.
I was sorry to hear he had passed (though, MUCH less so now that I’ve read about his abusive treatment of Marlee Matlin), but I’m pleased he won’t be filling any more movie screens with his anti-charisma.
I last saw him in the Black Widow movie and thought he was looking a little rough. But then in one of the Avenger movies I think his character was mentioned to have suffered a heart attack.
Years ago I was sitting outside the commissary on the Warner Bros. lot and Marlee was in line at the snack bar window. In the distance, we noticed Hurt walking toward the area. Everyone perked up and thought, “Geez, what are the odds?” As he passed they did not acknowledge each other.
Yeah, 71 is in the realm of dying of some kind of untimely cancer or disease, not “normal” old person stuff.
I mean, normal non-wealthy people make it to 75 all the time having had dire problems for a decade or two. Something that’s going to kill a presumably wealthy actor with the money and time to get treated is likely something pretty bad.
I always liked him - but until his obit, I had no idea what a jerk he was IRL. Had no idea Altered States was his first movie. That’s one of the movies I think of somewhat often - so it must have had an impact on me. Same w/ Broadcast News.
Not that I’m ANYWHERE near as attractive, but when I was much younger, my wife commented that he was the celebrity that I looked the most like.
My favorite line from that movie, although not spoken by Hurt’s character:
Paul Moore: “It must be nice to always believe you know better, to always think you’re the smartest person in the room.”
Jane Craig: “No. It’s awful.”
Condolences to his loved ones.
Other than that, not much to add except long ago I kept mixing up his name with John Hurt. A minor, minor annoyance, but still…
Body Heat for me although to be honest, most of my attention was on Kathleen Taylor.
Still, I noticed him.
William was the better actor IMHO so no similarity there.
Were you thinking of William instead?
Kathleen Turner
D’oh! I even made sure I spelled Kathleen right