William Hurt's Real Name: William Hurt

Quick answer: The actor is documented as William Hurt. Britannica dates his birth to March 20, 1950, in Washington, D.C., and his death to March 13, 2022, in Portland, Oregon. AP independently records a Washington, D.C., birth and the same March 13, 2022, death in Portland, Oregon (Britannica; AP).

Real name and early life

He is known professionally as William Hurt. Fuller middle names sometimes listed in databases are not used in the Britannica or AP accounts cited here, and are not repeated in the title. AP says his father worked for the State Department, that he was born in Washington, D.C., and that he traveled widely as a child while attending boarding school in Massachusetts. The same obituary notes that his parents divorced when he was young and that, when he was 10, his mother married Henry Luce III. Britannica treats the Washington, D.C., birth as the starting point of a career that began in repertory companies.

Career highlights

Britannica says he made his screen debut in Altered States (1980), became a leading actor with Body Heat (1981), and appeared in the ensemble drama The Big Chill (1983). In 1986 he won the Academy Award for best actor for Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985). Britannica also records Oscar nominations for best actor for Children of a Lesser God (1986) and Broadcast News (1987), and a later nomination for best supporting actor for A History of Violence (2005). Other notable films in that entry include The Accidental Tourist (1988), Syriana (2005), and Into the Wild (2007). AP independently highlights the same 1980s run, the Oscar, a later nomination for David Cronenberg's A History of Violence, television work including Damages and the series Goliath, and Marvel films including Avengers: Endgame and Black Widow, in which he played Thaddeus Ross.

Death

AP, citing a statement from his son, Will, says Hurt died on Sunday, March 13, 2022, of natural causes, at age 71, and locates the death in Portland, Oregon. Britannica independently gives the same date and place. AP also reports a 2018 prostate cancer diagnosis; the son's statement described the death as from natural causes.

Name notes for searchers

William Hurt is the documented professional name in both sources cited here. Searchers looking for the lawyer in Body Heat, the Oscar-winning performance in Kiss of the Spider Woman, or later work in A History of Violence and the Marvel films are usually aiming at the same person.