History of William Hurt in Timeline
William McChord Hurt was a highly acclaimed American actor known for his work in both theater and film. His talent earned him numerous prestigious awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival.
1910: Birth of Alfred McChord Hurt
William Hurt's father, Alfred McChord Hurt, was born in 1910.
1923: Birth of Claire Isabel McGill
William Hurt's mother, Claire Isabel McGill, was born in 1923.
1925: Birth of Henry Luce III
Henry Luce III, who would later become William Hurt's stepfather, was born in 1925.
March 20, 1950: Birth of William Hurt
William McChord Hurt was born on March 20, 1950 in Washington, D.C.
1960: Remarriage of Claire Isabel Hurt
William Hurt's mother married Henry Luce III in 1960.
1968: Graduation from Middlesex School
William Hurt graduated from Middlesex School in 1968.
1971: Hurt marries Mary Beth Supinger
William Hurt married actress Mary Beth Supinger in 1971.
1971: Death of Claire Isabel (McGill) Hurt
William Hurt's mother, Claire Isabel, passed away in 1971.
1972: Enrollment at Juilliard School
Hurt began studying acting at the Juilliard School in 1972.
1976: Completion of Studies at Juilliard School
William Hurt completed his studies at the Juilliard School in 1976.
1977: Hurt and Donna Kaz begin dating
William Hurt and Donna Kaz started dating in 1977.
1977: Joining Circle Repertory Company
William Hurt became a member of the acting company at Circle Repertory Company in 1977.
1978: Theatre World Award Win
William Hurt won a Theatre World Award for his performances in "Fifth of July", "Ulysses in Traction", and "Lulu" in 1978.
1979: Performance as Hamlet
Hurt played the title role in a production of "Hamlet" directed by Marshall W. Mason in 1979.
1980: Hurt and Donna Kaz's relationship ends
William Hurt and Donna Kaz's relationship ended in 1980.
1980: Film Debut and Golden Globe Nomination
William Hurt made his film debut in "Altered States" and received a Golden Globe nomination for New Star of the Year in 1980.
1980: Breakthrough Role in "Altered States"
William Hurt's performance as an obsessed scientist in the science fiction film "Altered States" brought him significant recognition in 1980.
1981: Leading Role in "Body Heat"
Hurt landed a lead role in the neo-noir film "Body Heat" alongside Kathleen Turner in 1981.
1981: Rise to Stardom with "Body Heat"
Hurt's role opposite Kathleen Turner in "Body Heat", directed by Lawrence Kasdan, elevated him to stardom in 1981.
1981: Hurt and Sandra Jennings' relationship begins
While still married to Mary Beth Hurt, William Hurt began a relationship with Sandra Jennings in Saratoga Springs, New York, in 1981.
1982: Hurt and Jennings relocate to South Carolina
Following Jennings' pregnancy and his divorce from Mary Beth Hurt in 1982, Hurt and Jennings moved to South Carolina, a state recognizing common-law marriages.
1982: Hurt and Mary Beth Hurt divorce
William Hurt and Mary Beth Hurt divorced in 1982.
1983: Collaboration with Kasdan in "The Big Chill"
Hurt starred in Lawrence Kasdan's acclaimed comedy-drama "The Big Chill" in 1983.
1983: Release of "The Big Chill"
Hurt starred in the critically acclaimed comedy-drama "The Big Chill", directed by Lawrence Kasdan, in 1983.
1983: Performance in "Gorky Park"
William Hurt starred alongside Lee Marvin in the thriller film "Gorky Park" in 1983.
1985: Cannes Film Festival Award and Academy Award for "Kiss of the Spider Woman"
Hurt won the Best Male Performance Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in "Kiss of the Spider Woman" in 1985.
1985: Academy Award Win for "Kiss of the Spider Woman"
William Hurt won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in "Kiss of the Spider Woman" in 1985.
1986: Academy Award Nomination for "Children of a Lesser God"
Hurt received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his role in "Children of a Lesser God" in 1986.
1987: Academy Award Nomination for "Broadcast News"
Hurt earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his role in the romantic comedy "Broadcast News", directed by James L. Brooks, in 1987.
1988: Continued Collaboration with Kasdan in "The Accidental Tourist"
Hurt and Kasdan worked together again on the comedy-drama "The Accidental Tourist" in 1988.
1988: Release of "The Accidental Tourist"
Hurt starred in the comedy-drama "The Accidental Tourist", directed by Lawrence Kasdan, in 1988.
1989: Departure from Circle Repertory Company
Hurt left the Circle Repertory Company in 1989.
1989: Hurt marries Heidi Henderson
William Hurt married Heidi Henderson in 1989.
1990: Supporting Role in "I Love You to Death"
Hurt had a supporting role in Lawrence Kasdan's ensemble comedy "I Love You to Death" in 1990.
1990: Appearance in "Alice" and "I Love You to Death"
William Hurt appeared in Woody Allen's "Alice" and Lawrence Kasdan's ensemble comedy "I Love You to Death" in 1990.
1991: Release of "Until the End of the World"
Hurt starred in Wim Wenders's drama film "Until the End of the World" in 1991.
1993: Hurt and Heidi Henderson divorce
William Hurt and Heidi Henderson divorced in 1993.
1994: Performance in "Trial by Jury"
Hurt starred in the drama film "Trial by Jury" in 1994.
1996: Release of "Michael"
Hurt starred alongside John Travolta in the comedy-drama "Michael" in 1996.
1996: Death of Alfred McChord Hurt
William Hurt's father, Alfred McChord Hurt, passed away in 1996.
1998: Roles in "Lost in Space", "Dark City", and "One True Thing"
William Hurt appeared in three notable films in 1998: "Lost in Space", "Dark City", and "One True Thing".
1998: Notable Roles in "Dark City" and "Lost in Space"
William Hurt had notable supporting roles in the films "Dark City" and "Lost in Space" in 1998.
1999: Performance in "Sunshine"
Hurt had a notable role in the film "Sunshine" in 1999.
2000: Hurt stars in "Frank Herbert's Dune"
In 2000, William Hurt starred as Duke Leto Atreides in the Sci Fi Channel miniseries adaptation of "Frank Herbert's Dune." The series became one of Syfy's highest-rated shows.
2001: Appearance in "A.I. Artificial Intelligence"
Hurt appeared in Steven Spielberg's science fiction drama "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" in 2001.
2002: Role in "Tuck Everlasting"
William Hurt appeared in the film "Tuck Everlasting" in 2002.
2002: Roles in "Tuck Everlasting" and "Changing Lanes"
William Hurt had notable roles in the films "Tuck Everlasting" and "Changing Lanes" in 2002.
2004: Appearance in "The Village"
Hurt appeared in M. Night Shyamalan's psychological thriller "The Village" in 2004.
2005: Critically Acclaimed Role in "A History of Violence"
Hurt received critical acclaim for his supporting role in the film "A History of Violence" in 2005.
2005: Academy Award Nomination for "A History of Violence"
William Hurt earned his fourth Academy Award nomination, this time for Best Supporting Actor, for his role in "A History of Violence" in 2005.
2005: Death of Henry Luce III
William Hurt's stepfather, Henry Luce III, passed away in 2005.
2006: Performance in "The Good Shepherd"
Hurt acted in the spy thriller "The Good Shepherd", directed by Robert De Niro, in 2006.
June 2007: Casting as Thaddeus Ross in "The Incredible Hulk"
Marvel Studios announced in June 2007 that William Hurt would play General Thaddeus Ross in the film "The Incredible Hulk".
2007: Roles in "Into the Wild" and "Mr. Brooks"
William Hurt appeared in the films "Into the Wild" and "Mr. Brooks" in 2007.
2007: Roles in "Mr. Brooks" and "Into the Wild"
William Hurt appeared in the films "Mr. Brooks" and "Into the Wild" in 2007.
2008: Roles in "Vantage Point" and "The Yellow Handkerchief"
Hurt appeared in the action thriller "Vantage Point" and the drama "The Yellow Handkerchief" in 2008.
2008: Debut as Thaddeus Ross in "The Incredible Hulk"
Hurt first appeared as Thaddeus Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film "The Incredible Hulk" in 2008.
April 13, 2009: Marlee Matlin accuses William Hurt of abuse
Marlee Matlin, in her 2009 autobiography "I'll Scream Later," alleged that during their two-year relationship, William Hurt was physically abusive and raped her. On April 13, 2009, these accusations were publicly aired on CNN. Hurt's agent did not comment, but Hurt released a statement the next day apologizing for any pain he caused, stating that they both apologized and worked to heal, and wishing Matlin and her family well.
2009: Hurt joins the cast of "Damages"
In 2009, Hurt became a series regular on the FX series "Damages," playing a corporate whistleblower. The show also stars Glenn Close and Marcia Gay Harden.
September 2010: Hurt portrays Henry Paulson in "Too Big to Fail"
In September 2010, William Hurt took on the role of United States Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson in the HBO film "Too Big to Fail," an adaptation of Andrew Ross Sorkin's book.
2010: Appearance in "Robin Hood"
Hurt had a role in Ridley Scott's action-adventure film "Robin Hood" in 2010.
2011: Primetime Emmy Nomination for "Too Big to Fail"
Hurt portrayed Henry Paulson in the HBO movie "Too Big to Fail" and received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie in 2011.
2011: Hurt plays Captain Ahab in "Moby Dick"
In 2011, William Hurt portrayed Captain Ahab in the television adaptation of Herman Melville's classic novel, "Moby-Dick."
2013: Performance in "The Host"
Hurt acted in the science fiction thriller "The Host" in 2013.
2014: Appearance in "Winter's Tale"
Hurt appeared in the fantasy romance film "Winter's Tale" in 2014.
2016: Role in "Race"
William Hurt appeared in the biographical sports drama "Race" in 2016.
2016: Reprising Thaddeus Ross in "Captain America: Civil War"
William Hurt reprised his role as Thaddeus Ross in the MCU film "Captain America: Civil War" in 2016.
May 2018: William Hurt diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer
In May 2018, it was announced that William Hurt was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer, which had spread to his bones.
2018: Return as Thaddeus Ross in "Avengers: Infinity War"
Hurt appeared as Thaddeus Ross once again in the MCU film "Avengers: Infinity War" in 2018.
2018: Performance in "The Miracle Season"
Hurt had a role in the sports drama "The Miracle Season" in 2018.
2018: Hurt cast in "The Coldest Game"
William Hurt was initially cast as the lead in the 2019 film "The Coldest Game." However, due to an off-set injury, he was replaced by Bill Pullman.
2019: Appearance in "The Last Full Measure"
Hurt appeared in the war drama film "The Last Full Measure" in 2019.
2019: "The Coldest Game" is released
The film "The Coldest Game," in which William Hurt was originally cast as the lead but later replaced by Bill Pullman due to an injury, was released in 2019.
2019: Appearance as Thaddeus Ross in "Avengers: Endgame"
William Hurt appeared as Thaddeus Ross in the MCU film "Avengers: Endgame" in 2019.
2021: Final Portrayal of Thaddeus Ross in "Black Widow"
Hurt made his final appearance as Thaddeus Ross in the MCU film "Black Widow" in 2021.
2021: Hurt appears in "Mythic Quest"
In 2021, William Hurt made one of his final acting appearances in a standalone episode of the Apple TV+ series "Mythic Quest," acting alongside F. Murray Abraham.
March 13, 2022: Death of William Hurt
William Hurt passed away on March 13, 2022.
March 2022: William Hurt passes away
On March 13, 2022, at 71 years old, William Hurt died of natural causes at his residence in Portland, Oregon. This occurred a week before he would have turned 72.
2022: Donna Kaz accuses William Hurt of abuse
Following Hurt's death in 2022, author Donna Kaz wrote a piece for "Variety" detailing their relationship between 1977 and 1980. In the article, she accused Hurt of domestic violence during their time together.
2022: Posthumous Release of "The King's Daughter"
Hurt's final film appearance was in the fantasy film "The King's Daughter", which was released posthumously in 2022.
