Actor William Hurt dies at 71

William Hurt, the Oscar-winning star of Kiss of the Spider Woman, Children of a Lesser God, and Broadcast News, died on Sunday. He was 71.

His son, Will Hurt, said in a statement that his father died of natural causes. In 2018, the actor was diagnosed with prostate cancer that spread to the bone, The Associated Press reports.

His first major roles came in the early 1980s, when Hurt starred in two Lawrence Kasdan films: Body Heat and The Big Chill. Just a few years later, he received three consecutive Academy Award nominations, for his turns in Kiss of the Spider Woman, Broadcast News, and Children of a Lesser God; he won Best Actor for Kiss of the Spider Woman. In 2005, Hurt was nominated for the fourth and final time, earning a best supporting actor nod for his performance in A History of Violence. Later in his career, he appeared in several Marvel films, including Black Widow and Avengers: Endgame.

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Hurt dated his Children of a Lesser God co-star Marlee Matlin for two years, and in her 2009 autobiography I'll Scream Later, Matlin accused Hurt of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. In response, Hurt released a statement saying his "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 both have grown. I wish Marlee and her family nothing but good."