Golden Globe-Nominated Actor Bud Cort Has Died

Golden Globe-nominated actor Bud Cort has died.

Television producer and Cort’s longtime friend Dorian Hannaway confirmed to KABC’s George Pennacchio that he died Wednesday in Connecticut after a long illness. He was 77.

Born Walter Edward Cox on March 29, 1948, in Rye, New York, Cort changed his name so he wouldn’t be confused with actor Wally Cox. While living in New York, he went to school in New Rochelle and enjoyed seeing shows on Broadway. In a statement via Variety, Roslyn Kind recalled meeting him at the backstage door at her sister’s play when she was only 14.

“He was majoring in art at the time in high school,” she said. “We became close friends who shared our interest in entertainment. When I got married, Bud and our songwriter friend, Bruce Roberts, wrote a special song that was performed at the ceremony. His unique spirit will always be with me.”

Cort ultimately moved to Los Angeles to work in film, making his acting debut in the 1967 Robert Mulligan-directed drama Up the Down Staircase in an uncredited role as a student. After having uncredited roles in the series The Doctors in 1968 and 1969’s Sweet Charity, Cort finally landed a credited on-screen role as Jeff in an episode of Mr. Deeds Goes to Town in 1969. The following year, Robert Altman cast him in the M*A*S*H film as Pvt. Boone. Altman eventually cast Cort in the titular role in 1970’s Brewster McCloud, which centers on a young man who yearns to fly.

Perhaps his most notable role is as Harold Chasen in the 1971 romantic dramedy Harold and Maude. Harold is a 20-year-old man obsessed by thoughts of suicide, but his perspective changes after meeting 79-year-old Holocaust survivor Maude (Ruth Gordon). Director Hal Ashby and writer Colin Higgins were sold on Cort playing Harold after seeing his chemistry with Gordon during the audition. The role nabbed him a BAFTA nomination as Most Promising Newcomer, as well as a Golden Globe nod for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.

Additional credits include The Strawberry Statement, The Traveling Executioner, The Hallucinating Trip, We Shoot the Teacher, Son of Hitler, Brave New World, She Dances Alone, Love Letters, Invaders from Mars, Bates Motel, Love at Stake, Heat, The Mask animated series, Sweet Jane, Superman: The Animated Series, Coyote Ugly, and The Little Prince. Cort’s final acting role was in the 2016 short Affections.

Bud Cort is survived by his brother Joseph Cox and his sister-in-law Vickie and their daughters, Meave, Brytnn, and Jesse of Rye, N.Y.; his sister Kerry Cox of Larchmont, N.Y.; his sister and brother-in-law, Tracy Cox Berkman and Edward Berkman, and their sons, Daniel and Peter. He is also survived by his sister, Shelly Cox Dufour and brother-in-law Robert Dufour, and nieces Madeline and Lucie.