Many people are familiar with the highly regarded actor William Hurt, primarily because of his tenure as the leading man during the popular film era of the 1980s. The actor won an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1986 for the movie Kiss of the Spider Woman, in which he played an LGBTQ prisoner. He has also been praised for his various performances in Children of a Lesser God, Broadcast News, and A History of Violence.
Hurt was able to successfully transition from his well-known leading male status into more vibrant and multifaceted roles. Hurt reportedly passed away in March 2022 at his home in Portland, Oregon, while being accompanied by his closest family members. Hurt has done a tremendous amount of work that will never be forgotten. He will always be remembered as the performer who gave unique characters a vivid, captivating, and memorable life. These are some of William Hurt’s best-reviewed movies from a distinguished career.
Body Heat
In the famous neo-noir Body Heat, Ned Racine (William Hurt), a deceitful lawyer, develops a plot to murder Matty Walker’s husband so that the two can flee with his money. Matty Walker is the wife of a wealthy Florida businessman (Richard Crenna). Complications emerge when he reaches out to his criminal customers for more support after learning about double-crosses. In this terrific, seductive, and spicy thriller, a series of circumstances push Racine further into a hole than he could have ever imagined.
Broadcast News
One of the greatest representations of a newsroom on American television, with an unending supply of satire. In the movie Broadcast News, Jane Carig, a fellow news producer, develops a strong attraction to her coworker, the anchorman, despite the fact that she despises him at work. Holly Hunter plays Jane. Even worse, her closest buddy Aaron Altman (Albert Brooks), a fellow news reporter, secretly develops feelings for her. The local news anchorman Jane falls for is portrayed by William Hurt, who is as endearing and witty as ever in a cast that stands out.
Captain America: Civil War
Following the risky open-air battles between the Avengers and their foes, increasing political pressures result in a crackdown on superheroes and their collateral damage in Captain America: Civil War. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.
) disagrees and is in favour of state monitoring, whereas Captain America (Chris Evans) wants superheroes to be free to defend humanity without intervention from the government.
Thunderbolt Thaddeus (Hurt) Ross is the country’s secretary of state at the moment. He was in charge of the experiment that resulted in Bruce Banner’s unintentional transformation into the Hulk. He was formerly a retired lieutenant general of the US Army. In this most sombre and possibly best movie in the MCU, Hurt is excellent, playing it appropriately solemn.
Kiss of The Spider Woman
In the potent and underappreciated Kiss of the Spider Woman, Luis Molina (William Hurt) and Valentin Arregui (Raul Julia) share a cell in a Southern American jail. Valentin is classified as a political prisoner, whilst Luis is judged guilty of engaging in immoral behaviour for being a homosexual guy. Despite the evident disparities between the two men, they warily approach one another. Luis creates a variety of romantic comedies to help them mentally escape their current position while Valentin finds it difficult to stay focused on his own issue.
The Accidental Tourist
In The Accidental Tourist, Hurt and Turner once again complement one another beautifully. Following the murder of their little boy, Macon’s (William Hurt) and Sarah’s (Kathleen Turner) marriage steadily falls apart. After an unexpected accident leaves Macon using crutches, Sarah vacates the property and Macon stays behind to live with his eccentric siblings at the family house. Macon meets Muriel (Geena Davis), a caring dog trainer who also has a son. After learning of Muriel and Macon’s developing friendship, Sarah makes an effort to make amends with her estranged husband. This forces Macon to make a challenging life choice.
The Big Chill
A group of friends reunite for a weekend in The Big Chill following the burial of their comrade Alex, who committed suicide. JoBeth Williams, a journalist (Tom Berenger), a Vietnam veteran (William Hurt), a doctor (Glenn Close) and her spouse, and an actor (JoBeth Williams) all spend the weekend tackling the difficult issues that caused their initial division. The gang must deal with past sacrifices, betrayals, and startling self-discoveries, but they must also deal with each other’s troubles and any unfinished business they had with Alex.
The Good Shepherd
In the movie The Good Shepherd, Matt Damon’s character Edward Wilson joins the Central Intelligence Agency, a civilian foreign intelligence agency of the US federal government. As the nation grows more and more entrenched in the Cold War, Wilson faces a number of professional and personal obstacles while remaining undetected and committed to his work. Edward is compelled to acknowledge that his past of prioritising duty over family has cost him. Hurt portrays Philip Allen, the first civilian head of the CIA and an emulation of Allen Welsh Dulles, with the requisite solemnity and power.
