Four-time Academy Award nominee William Hurt, who died Sunday at age 71, left behind a bulging filmography — more than 100 appearances in film and television in the 45 years between his first (in a two-part episode of “Kojak”) and his last (the in-production series “Pantheon”). In between, he won a Best Actor Oscar (for “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” a title sadly unavailable for streaming), appeared on prestigious TV and character roles, and made recurring appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Here are a few highlights from his extensive career, and where to stream them:
1981
‘Body heat’
Hurt’s first major film hit was also his inaugural partnership with writer and director Lawrence Kasdan, with whom he would continue to work through his heyday in the 1980s. A scorching return to the film noir tradition, “Body Heat” tells one of the quintessential tales of the period: the rich woman (Kathleen Turner, in a thrilling film debut) who enlists a horny heel (Hurt) to help her finish. to punch her wealthy husband (Richard Crenna) for the insurance money. The story may have been old-fashioned, but Kasdan took advantage of the looser content limitations of his time to create the subtext, creating pulsating love scenes that take full advantage of Hurt and Turner’s explosive chemistry. Ted Danson and Mickey Rourke also pop up in early roles.
Rent or buy on Amazon, Apple, YouTube, Vudu and Google Play.
1983
‘The great cold’
Kasdan reunited with Hurt for his next directorial effort, an ensemble drama so culturally ubiquitous that the title became a shorthand of the generation. Hurt appears alongside Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, fellow Kasdan favorite Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place and JoBeth Williams as a group of baby boomer schoolmates who reunite for a weekend getaway after their friend’s suicide; truths are told, long-hidden secrets are revealed, sexual escapades are experienced and Motown tunes are played. It’s the kind of big, busy movie where actors usually have to make a lot of noise to stand out – but Hurt goes in the opposite direction, playing his impotent drug-addicted vet character with a kind of quiet, simmering pain that’s impossible to understand. shake.
Stream on Tubi. Rent or buy on Amazon, Apple, YouTube, Vudu and Google Play.
1986
‘Children of a Lesser God’
Hurt received his second Academy Award nomination for this powerful adaptation of director Randa Haines’ Mark Medoff play. His role, of a hearing educator at a deaf school who begins a relationship with a colleague (an Oscar-winning Marlee Matlin, in her film debut), captures one of the quintessential qualities of Hurt’s persona: spiky intelligence combined with simmering impatience to unnervingly explosive personality. He never played easy characters and would dull their likable qualities with his own ferocity – but the results, as in this case, were often astonishingly poignant. (In her 2010 memoir, Matlin accused Hurt, with whom she was in an offscreen relationship, of abuse.)
Rent or buy on Amazon, Apple, YouTube, Vudu and Google Play.
1987
‘News broadcast’
Hurt may have had the toughest acting job of his early years in this 1987 Oscar nominee from writer and director James L. Brooks — which at first glance doesn’t seem to be the case, as it’s a light romantic comedy. But as Tom Grunick, the network’s up-and-coming news reporter already being groomed for anchorage, Hurt had to both personify everything his idealistic protagonist (Holly Hunter) found dangerous, and be charming enough to fall believable to him. anyway† The actor succeeds, thanks to a powerful combination of great charm and professionalism at work; you believe he can do the job he does, you believe she might get hot for him and you still understand why she can’t.
Stream on HBO Max. Rent or buy on Amazon, Apple, YouTube, Vudu and Google Play.
1988
‘The accidental tourist’
Kasdan reunited his ‘Body Heat’ stars Hurt and Turner for this muted but gripping adaptation of Anne Tyler’s novel. It finds its stars in a very different mode, as a married couple whose relationship has deteriorated in the wake of their young son’s tragic death. Hurt’s character, a travel writer for those who hate to travel, handles his grief and depression the way he does everything else: shutting it down, bottling it up while living a life of barely restrained impatience. Such a role would be a tough sell for most actors, but Hurt made it a specialty, and he excels here by not only making the character empathetic, but showing how the right person (Geena Davis, in an Oscar-winning turn) could tear down those walls.
Rent or buy on Amazon, Apple, YouTube, Vudu and Google Play.
1990
‘I love you to death’
Hurt was such an intense personality, playing hyper-serious characters with such skill that it was easy to underestimate his gifts as a comedic actor. And he didn’t have many chances to show them, but this pitch-black comedy from Lawrence Kasdan (their latest collaboration) was a golden one. Hurt only appears halfway through this story of a maligned woman (Tracey Ullman) who decides to kill her philandering husband (Kevin Kline); he and Keanu Reeves are the hitmen she unluckily hires, a bunch of staggered stoners who turn out to be extremely incompetent to get the job done. It remains surprising to see Hurt doing a Bill-and-Ted act alongside Ted himself, but they find the right comedic rhythm for their ridiculous two-act.
Rent or buy on Amazon, Apple, YouTube, Vudu and Google Play.
1995
‘Smoke’
Hurt appeared in fewer studio leads after his salad days in the 80s, presumably due to a combination of his “difficult” reputation and his desire to spend more time on stage. But he engaged in a steady stream of ensemble roles, increasingly appearing in smaller, independent films like this director Wayne Wang’s gem, based on Paul Auster’s characters and stories. Hurt plays the film’s Auster avatar, a Brooklyn novelist who is still mourning the loss of his wife. He plays the part with grace and sensitivity, most notably a heartbreaking scene where he unexpectedly comes across a photo of his dearly departed; it’s one of the finest moments of his acting ever captured on film.
Rent or buy on Amazon, Apple, YouTube, Vudu and Google Play.
2005
‘A history of violence’
Hurt received his latest Academy Award nomination, for Best Supporting Actor, for his brief but thrilling performance in David Cronenberg’s adaptation of the critically acclaimed graphic novel. Crime boss Richie Cusack is the kind of character who gets such a big build-up—his name is whispered in fear for much of the film’s running time—that if Hurt doesn’t perform in the role, the whole movie falls apart. To say the least, he delivers, leaning into both the character’s menace and the pitch-black humor of his stylized dialogue. Hurt would continue to work on film, screen and stage until his death, but he would rarely find a role as suited to his unique gifts as this one.
Rent or buy on Amazon, Apple, YouTube, Vudu and Google Play.
