Kevin Costner has responded to the sudden passing of his Big Chill co-star William Hurt, calling his time working with him “one of the most transformative experiences” of his career.
“Devastated to hear the news of William Hurt’s passing. I got to know him early in my career when we met working on The Big Chill. William was a truly brilliant actor,” he wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. “He will be sorely missed.”
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Hurt died on Sunday, one week before he would’ve celebrated his 72nd birthday. His family confirms he died of natural causes and was surrounded by his loved ones.
“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,” his family said in a statement to Deadline. “He died peacefully, among family, of natural causes. The family requests privacy at this time.”
The renowned actor became a major figure largely known for his award-winning, critically acclaimed films such as Kiss of the Spider Woman, which won him an Academy Award in 1986. He also worked with a myriad of heavyweight talents to match his own stage power like Anna Pacquin (Jane Eyre), Kathleen Turner (Body Heat), and Marlee Matlin (Children of a Lesser God) among other names.
Matlin and Hurt briefly engaged in a relationship. She later described their relationship in her memoir as “physically abusive” and accused him of abusing drugs. “My own recollection is that we both apologized and both did a great deal to heal our lives. Of course, I did and do apologize for any pain I caused. And I know we have both grown. I wish Marlee and her family nothing but good,” Hurt responded in a statement after Matlin’s book was published.
Hurt was married twice: first to actress Mary Beth Hurt, and then he settled down with Heidi Henderson. Both marriages ended in divorce. He shared two children with Henderson: Samuel Hurt and William Hurt Jr. He was also father to Alex Hurt, whom he shared with Sandra Jennings, and Jeanne Bonnaire-Hurt, whose mother is Sandrine Bonnaire.
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