James Woods Remembers Late Actor William Hurt With Touching Tribute

Hollywood is in mourning today after the death of Oscar-winning star William Hurt, who died on Sunday at the age of 71 following a battle with prostate cancer.

James Woods Honors William Hurt

“I worked with the legendary Bill Hurt through four decades in the business. I loved him,” Woods wrote on Twitter alongside a photo of himself with Hurt. “He instinctively understood film acting better than just about anybody in history. A giant talent, a remarkable man, a lovely friend. #RIPWilliamHurt.”

Woods and Hurt starred together in the 1981 movie Eyewitness, which you can check out a trailer for below:

Hurt’s death was announced on Sunday by his son, Will. 

“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,” he said in a statement, according to Daily Mail. “He died peacefully, among family, of natural causes. The family requests privacy at this time.”

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Tributes For William Hurt Pour In 

Hurt made the announcement back in 2018 that he had been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer, saying at the time that it had already spread to his bones. Watch about his cancer diagnosis and treatment plan in 2018 in the video below. 

Tributes have been pouring in for him since his death was announced. 

“I was star-struck by him,” said his former co-star Christine Lahti, who added that “his mind would never stop.”

“We’ve lost a really great actor and working with him on set in Children of a Lesser God will always be something I remember very fondly,” added Marlee Matlin, who dated Hurt for two years in the 1980s.

Here’s a scene from Children of a Lesser God:

Hurt won an Oscar in 1985 for his work in Kiss of the Spider Woman, and he was nominated for Oscars on three other occasions, most recently in 2005 for his performance in A History Of Violence.

He was known to Marvel fans for playing General Thaddeus Ross in various movies that included 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, 2019’s Avengers: Endgame and 2021’s Black Widow. 

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Hurt Discusses His Craft 

Back in 1985, Hurt told People Magazine that he viewed himself as “a character actor in a leading-man’s body.”

“I want more mask than, say, Spencer Tracy did. But I don’t ‘pretend’ to be somebody else,” Hurt said at the time. “Acting isn’t schizoid like that. Acting is about telling the truth. And it’s an adventure. It isn’t about what I know before I do it. It’s about what I can discover while it’s happening.”

Hurt is survived by his four children. Please join us in saying a prayer for his family and friends.