Hollywood icon William Hurt recently passed away at the age of 71, and the film world has been left reeling. He was a man of formidable and reliable talent who was a consistent bright spot on any casting list.
Hurt didn’t stop working from 1980 to 2021, and his record for films worth watching is outstanding. Furthermore, on top of all of his genre pieces and indies, Hurt made several appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including in Captain America: Civil War and 2021’s Black Widow.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018) – 85%
Hurt’s General Thaddeus Ross doesn’t get to participate in Avengers: Infinity War‘s biggest action sequences, but he still has a part to play.
Ross’s biggest role in the MCU post-Banner-fixation was bringing the Sokovia Accords to the Avengers. He’s a government watchdog, but he also at least somewhat understands what the heroes are doing. It would have been nice for Hurt to close his Hulk arc with She-Hulk on Disney+, but at least there are five appearances from Hurt’s Ross for fans to enjoy.
Altered States (1980) – 85%
Altered States is a movie fueled by creepy dream logic, and it made for one heck of a debut for Hurt. It’s rare for an actor to get a lead role in their very first movie, and Hurt knocks the complicated part out of the park.
Hurt portrays Edward Jessup, a scientist who experiments with sensory deprivation and hallucinogens to unlock different forms of consciousness. Before long, the line between states of consciousness becomes blurred, and Jessup starts to experience physical transformations.
Kiss Of The Spider Woman (1985) – 87%
Kiss of the Spider Woman stars Raul Julia as Valentin Arregui, a political activist thrown in a Brazilian jail cell with Luis Molina (Hurt), a gay man incarcerated for raping an underage boy.
Hurt received the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Molina. Furthermore, Hurt received Best Actor nominations the following two years; First for 1986’s Children of a Lesser God and then 1987’s Broadcast News.
A History Of Violence (2005) – 87%
David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence stars Viggo Mortensen as prime assassin Joey Cusack, who has turned his back on the profession. He now lives as Tom Stall, diner owner and loyal family man.
But when he stops two notoriously proficient robbers with ease, Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris) comes calling on behalf of Joey’s brother, crime boss Richie (Hurt). For his role, Hurt received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Until The End Of The World (1991) – 88%
Until the End of the World takes place in 1999, just after it’s been announced an orbiting nuclear satellite is hurtling towards Earth. It’s an epic film with a director’s cut that clocks in at over four hours and 40 minutes.
Hurt plays Sam Farber, a man wanted by the U.S. government for industrial espionage. He’s stolen a peculiar camera, one that takes pictures blind people can see. This is beneficial because, like his mother, Farber is going blind.
One True Thing (1998) – 88%
One True Thing follows Renée Zellweger’s Ellen Gulden, a woman in her 20s who must drop her life plans in order to care for her dying mother.
Hurt plays Ellen’s mother, George, a famous author and literary professor at Princeton. George is the parent Ellen prefers, and it’s always been apparent to both George and his spouse. Now, George wants his daughter to take the opportunity to say goodbye to her mother, Kate (Meryl Streep), a woman for whom Ellen has rarely held respect.
Captain America: Civil War (2016) – 90%
Captain America: Civil War introduced many MCU characters, but it also brought back one that fans had thought was long lost since the first phase of the universe.
Civil War was the first time Hurt had played the role of General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross since 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, which was always the odd-man-out of the MCU. Hurt then went on to reprise the role in Infinity War, briefly in Avengers: Endgame, and Black Widow.
Smoke (1995) – 93%
Smoke was a mid-’90s independent film with a star-studded cast, led by Hurt and Harvey Keitel. It’s an ensemble piece that follows the lives of several New Yorkers, all of whom regularly patronize a tobacco store owned by Keitel’s character, Auggie.
Hurt portrayed a widowed writer, Paul Benjamin, who tells Auggie his life story of art and love. When Benjamin’s life is saved by a young Black man, he opens his home as a form of thanks.
Body Heat (1981) – 98%
Perhaps one of the best erotic thrillers of all time, Body Heat was an early, important film from Hurt. Featuring an incredible cast including Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson, and Mickey Rourke.
Hurt stars as Ned Racine, a Floridian lawyer who starts up an affair with Marry Walker (Turner), a woman with a frequently-absent husband. Soon, the two are planning to knock off the husband, but actions have consequences.
Broadcast News (1987) – 98%
James L. Brooks’s masterful Broadcast News is a film with two male leads and one female lead, yet it’s far more than a romantic triangle. The narrative takes place within a TV news studio, with Holly Hunter as the over-stressed producer and Hurt as the inexperienced but good-looking and charismatic reporter.
There’s also Albert Brooks as a seasoned field reporter who, like Hurt’s character, has feelings for Hunter’s. Broadcast News is a classic, imminently rewatchable film and a definite recommendation for any fan of Hurt’s, Hunter’s, or Brooks’s.
