William Hurt Remembered As A Giant Talent By His Peers In The Acting Community
Words like “legendary,” “favorite,” “dominating” and “incredible” were part of the reactions online to news of actor William Hurt’s death today at 71. In most cases, it would be an exaggeration borne of an emotional moment, a way to honor a fallen presence with tributes that capture their feelings about someone who entertained them for a good portion of their lives.
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But as was clear from the tributes from his peers, there are no superlatives that could adequately convey how talented and impactful Hurt was during his long career in film and on stage. Those in his profession knew they were in the presence of a singular talent.
Some of the early reactions:
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I’m so sad to hear of the passing of William Hurt. I had the privilege of directing him in The Village. He was a master of his acting craft. Every take was new and revealing. #rip
— M. Night Shyamalan ? (@MNightShyamalan) March 13, 2022
William Hurt has passed. On Robin Hood, I was aware of his reputation for asking character based questions, so I had compiled a file on the life of William Marshall. He sought me out when he arrived on set. I handed him the stack. Not sure if I’ve ever seen a bigger smile. RIP.
— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) March 13, 2022
I had the great pleasure of working beside William Hurt in Too Big To Fail. Bill was a consummate professional. Continually searching for greater truth and human understanding. Blessings to his family and friends. RIP. pic.twitter.com/hOJPtPbVf9
— Matthew Modine (@MatthewModine) March 13, 2022
William Hurt was a beyond brilliant film & stage actor, and then he went and guested on @TheKOQ and was so deadpan, low-key hilarious. “This is good cake. And I’m not a cake guy.” RIP pic.twitter.com/3CnnjZDmYz
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) March 13, 2022
Wow, another Major loss to the acting community. Great actor. Great mind. RIP https://t.co/aKu8NWLgaz
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) March 13, 2022
R.I.P. William Hurt. So sad to hear this news. Working with him on Broadcast News was amazing. He will be greatly missed.
— Albert Brooks (@AlbertBrooks) March 13, 2022
RIP to the legend William Hurt whom I had the privilege of working with on Mr,Brooks. He was delightfully sinister in this role & a lovely guy when the cameras stopped. What a career. What a remarkable body of work. pic.twitter.com/WUa9VKXWaD
— Dane Cook (@DaneCook) March 13, 2022
Jesus.
This man, who I did not know but whose work I always admired, grabbed me at the Emmys the year after my father died and talked to me for 15 minutes about him and the importance of recognizing fatherhood in this life. I am still moved. #RIP https://t.co/EaHWHj2rxO
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) March 13, 2022
Grateful that I had the opportunity to work with William Hurt. I admired his acting so much and watching his commitment in person was remarkable. My thoughts are with his family. pic.twitter.com/faDLANuq2E
— Topher Grace (@TopherGrace) March 13, 2022
Honestly, I never saw a bad performance from William Hurt. Not once.
But if I had to pick one performance. Just one from a remarkable career.
It would be Broadcast News.
RIP William Hurt. pic.twitter.com/BLkVeqdIQE
— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) March 13, 2022
A great actor has left us.
RIP William Hurt ?? pic.twitter.com/rg3PmXOmFd— Antonio Banderas (@antoniobanderas) March 13, 2022
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