William Hurt, known for ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman,’ ‘Broadcast News,’ dies at 71

William Hurt, the Oscar-winning actor best known for his quietly commanding performances in “Body Heat,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Children of a Lesser God” and “Broadcast News,” died Sunday.

He was a few days shy of his 72nd birthday.

Hurt’s son, Alexander, said in a statement that his father died peacefully at home in Portland, Oregon, from complications from prostate cancer.

In a Hollywood career that spanned more than four decades, Hurt deftly alternated between starring and supporting roles. He was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning in 1986 for his performance as a gay prisoner in “Kiss of the Spider Woman.”

In recent years, Hurt introduced himself to a new generation of viewers as U.S. government official Thaddeus Ross in five Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, including the 2021 spy thriller “Black Widow.”

Hurt was capable of making a big impression even with a small part. He was particularly memorable as a sinister mob boss in David Cronenberg’s “A History of Violence” — a roughly 10-minute cameo that earned him an Oscar nod for best supporting actor.

Hurt was born on March 20, 1950, in Washington, D.C. He got his start in stage repertory companies before he made his feature debut in Ken Russell’s sci-fi horror film “Altered States,” released in 1980.

The decade that followed proved to be particularly fruitful for the tall and subtly authoritative performer. He shot to leading man status with his turn in Lawrence Kasdan’s erotic neo-noir thriller “Body Heat” (1981), burning up the screen alongside Kathleen Turner.

He again teamed up with Kasdan two years later in the reunion dramedy “The Big Chill,” standing out in a crowded ensemble as an emotionally scarred Vietnam War veteran and drug dealer.

Héctor Babenco’s “Kiss of the Spider Woman” brought Hurt some of the most significant accolades and glowing reviews of his career. He played Luis Alberto Molina, who shares a Brazilian prison cell with Raúl Juliá’s leftist activist.

Hurt’s performance earned him the best actor Oscar as well as equivalent prizes from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and the National Board of Review.

“I am very proud to be an actor,” Hurt said in his acceptance speech at the 58th Academy Awards.

He was nominated for an Oscar a year later for his leading role in the romantic drama “Children of a Lesser God,” co-starring with Marlee Matlin. (He lost the Oscar to Paul Newman for Martin Scorsese’s “The Color of Money.”)

Hurt received a third consecutive Oscar nomination as the charming and charismatic but intellectually limited TV news anchorman Tom Grunick in James L. Brooks’ beloved romantic comedy “Broadcast News.”

Time magazine critic Richard Corliss praised Hurt for “never standing safely outside his character, always allowing Tom to find the humor in his too-rapid success, locating a dimness behind his eyes when Tom is asked a tough question — and for Tom, poor soulless sensation-to-be, all questions are tough ones.”

Albert Brooks, who co-starred with Hurt in…