Oscar-winning actor William Hurt, best known for his roles in Kiss of the Spider Woman and Body Heat and his portrayal of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, has died at the age of 71, just a week before his birthday. 

“It is with great sadness that the Hurt family mourns the passing of William Hurt, beloved father and Oscar winning actor, on March 13, 2022, one week before his 72nd birthday. He died peacefully, among family, of natural causes. The family requests privacy at this time,” the actor’s family said in a statement obtained by Deadline.  

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Who was William Hurt?

William Hurt made his acting debut in the 1980 science fiction thriller Altered States. Hurt quickly emerged as one of the 1980s foremost leading men and went on to earn three consecutive Academy Awards nominations for Best Actor for Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), Children of a Lesser God (1986) and Broadcast News (1987). He won the award for Kiss of the Spider Woman. He earned his fourth nomination in 2005 for his role David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence. 

The actor made his MCU debut in Louis Leterrier’s The Incredible Hulk, playing the role of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. 

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Following his death, several people took to social media to pay tributes. 

“R.I.P. William Hurt. So sad to hear this news. Working with him on Broadcast News was amazing. He will be greatly missed,” actor Albert Brooks tweeted.

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“Honestly, I never saw a bad performance from William Hurt. Not once. But if I had to pick one performance. Just one from a remarkable career. It would be Broadcast News. RIP William Hurt,” author Don Winslow tweeted.