William M. Hurt (born
March 20,
1950) is an
Academy Award- and
BAFTA Award-winning
American actor.
Biography
Early life
Hurt was born in
Washington, D.C., the son of Claire Isabel (
née McGill), who worked at
Time, Inc.,
[William Hurt - Profile, Latest News and Related Articles] and Alfred McCord Hurt, who worked for the U.S. State Department. His mother re-married
Henry Luce III (the son of the founder of
Time Magazine) during Hurt's childhood. Hurt graduated from
Middlesex School in 1968 where he was the Vice President of the Dramatics Club and had the lead role in several of the school plays. His high school yearbook predicted, "With characteristics such as these, you might even see him on Broadway." Hurt attended
Tufts University and studied
theology, but turned instead to acting and joined the
Juilliard Drama School studying alongside
Christopher Reeve.
Career
Hurt appeared first on stage, only later turning to film. His first major role was in the sci-fi hit
Altered States (1980) which gave him wide recognition for playing an obsessed scientist. He received the
Best Male Performance Prize at the
Cannes Film Festival and the
Academy Award for Best Actor for
Kiss of the Spider Woman in 1985. He received three additional Oscar nominations; one for
Children of a Lesser God (1986), one for
Broadcast News (1987) and one (for Best Supporting Actor) in
A History Of Violence (2005).
