William Hurt - Biography

Last Editor: cobbmw				William Hurt Biography -   Name : William Hurt Date of birth : 20 March 1950 Place of birth : Washington, District of Columbia, USA Height : 6' 2

William Hurt Trivia -

Made his stage debut in "Henry V" in 1977 for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Graduate of Tufts University, 1972. Also studied at Juilliard. His ex-wife, Heidi, is the daughter of Skitch Henderson. He lived with Sandra Jennings from 1981-84. They had a son. Lives in Oregon with his two sons, Willie and Sam from his marriage to Heidi Henderson. [2004] Attended Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. Turned down a role in Jurassic Park (1993). He is the stepson of Henry Luce III, who is the son of Henry Luce who founded "Time". Recipient of the first Spencer Tracy Award in 1988 for outstanding screen performances. He is an avid private pilot with taildragger experience. Turned down lead role in Misery (1990) Speaks French quite fluently. Has a daughter, Jeanne, with Sandrine Bonnaire. Was nominated for Broadway's 1985 Tony Award as Best Actor (Featured Role - Play) for David Rabe's "Hurlyburly."

William Hurt Detailed Biography -

William Hurt trained at Tufts University and New York's Juilliard School of Music and Drama. He spent the early years of his career on the stage and between schooling, summer stock, regional repertory and Off Broadway, appearing in more than fifty productions including Henry V, 5th of July, Hamlet, Richard II, Hurlyburly (for which he was nominated for a Tony Award), My Life (winning an Obie Award for Best Actor), A Midsummer Night's Dream and Good. Hurt is currently shooting the mini-series ‘Hanssen' for CBS, to air in November. In 2001, Hurt starred in the independent film Rare Birds co-starring Molly Parker and directed by Sturla Gunnarson. The film made its debut at last year's Toronto Film Festival. Other recent film credits include a supporting role last year in Steven Spielberg's A.I. and a cameo appearance in April 2002 in Paramount's Changing Lanes starring Samuel Jackson. In early 2001, Hurt starred in The Flamingo Rising for CBS. Based on the novel by Larry Baker and directed by Martha Coolidge, Hurt starred opposite Brian Benben and Elizabeth McGovern in the story of an eccentric dreamer who builds the world's largest drive-in movie theater across the street from a funeral parlor. In April 2001, Hurt starred in Varian's War for Showtime. Directed by Lionel Chetwynd and produced by Barbra Streisand's Barwood Films, the film co-starred Alan Arkin, Julia Ormond and Lynn Redgrave, and followed the story of Varian Fry (Hurt) who rescued prominent European artists and more than 2,000 others from Nazi persecution during World War II. In 2000, Hurt delivered a memorable performance in Sunshine, opposite Ralph Fiennes. Directed by Istvan Szabo, Sunshine received three Genie Awards, including one for Best Motion Picture. In addition, Hurt also appeared in The Simian Line with Lynn Redgrave and Eric Stoltz and Dune for the Sci-Fi Channel. In 1980, Hurt appeared in his first film, Altered States. He received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for Broadcast News and Children of a Lesser God. For Kiss of the Spider Woman he was honored by an Academy Award and Best Actor Awards from the British Academy and the Cannes Festival. Among his other films are Body Heat, The Big Chill, Eyewitness, Gorky Park, Alice, I Love You to Death, The Accidental Tourist, The Doctor, The Plague, Trial by Jury, Second Best, Smoke, Confidences a un Inconnu Jane Eyre, Michael, Dark City, The Proposition The Big Brass Ring and "One True Thing. For radio, Hurt read Paul Theroux's The Great Railway Bazaar, for the BBC Radio Four and soon to go to air, The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx. He has recorded The Polar Express, The Boy Who Drew Cats and narrated the documentaries "Searching for America: The Odyssey of John Dos Passos Einstein - How I See the World and the English narration of Elie Wiesel's To Speak the Unspeakable," a documentary directed and produced by Pierre Marmiesse. In 1988, Hurt was awarded the first Spencer Tracy Award from U.C.L.A.