William Hurt has died at the age of 71.
The Oscar-winning actor – who was best known for his roles in “Broadcast News”, “Body Heat” and “The Big Chill” – passed away on Sunday, surrounded by his family.
In a statement, his son Will said: “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 died peacefully, among family, of natural causes. The family requests privacy at this time.”
The actor emerged as one of the leading men in Hollywood during the 1980s and he received four Oscar nominations during his time in the movie business, winning the Best Actor gong for his role in 1985s ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’.
In recent years, he’s also starred as General Thaddeus Ross in the Marvel movies.
However, William never really embraced his celebrity status and once admitted to craving more privacy in his life.
He said in 1989: “It’s not right that my privacy is invaded to the extent that it is. I’m a very private man, and I have the right to be. I never said that because I was an actor you can have my privacy, you can steal my soul. You can’t.”
The Hollywood star also struggled with drugs and alcohol, and he even some spent time in rehab in a bid to overcome his issues.
He said: “I was utterly miserable and, finally, I had been miserable enough, long enough, and I said, ‘I’m finished, I can’t hack it, can’t do it.’”
William’s career slowed down during the 1990s, when he rejected a number of high-profile roles, including the opportunity to star in “Jurassic Park”.