A four-time Oscar nominee, the actor played charming, explosive leading men in 1980s classics like “Children of a Lesser God” and “Broadcast News.”
The four-time Academy Award nominee William Hurt, who died Sunday at 71, left behind a bulging filmography — over 100 appearances in movies and television in the 45 years between his first (on a two-part episode of “Kojak”) and his last (the in-production series “Pantheon”). In between, he won an Oscar for best actor (for “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” a title that is sadly not available to stream), turned up on prestige TV and in character roles and made recurring appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Here are a few of the highlights from his extensive career, and where you can stream them: 1981 Hurt’s first big film hit was also his inaugural collaboration with the writer and director Lawrence Kasdan, with whom he would continue to work throughout his ’80s leading man heyday. “Body Heat” is a scorching throwback to the film noir tradition, telling one of the quintessential stories of that period: the rich woman (Kathleen Turner, in an electrifying film debut) who enlists a horny heel (Hurt) to help her bump off her rich husband (Richard Crenna) for the insurance money. The story might have been old hat, but Kasdan took advantage of the looser content restrictions of his era to make the subtext text, crafting pulse-quickening love scenes that take full advantage of Hurt and Turner’s explosive chemistry. Ted Danson and Mickey Rourke also pop up in early roles. Rent or buy on Amazon, Apple, YouTube, Vudu and Google Play. 1983 Kasdan reunited with Hurt for his next directorial effort, an ensemble drama so culturally ubiquitous, its title became generational shorthand. Hurt appears alongside Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, fellow Kasdan favorite Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place and JoBeth Williams as a group of baby boomer college schoolmates who reunite for a weekend away after the suicide of their friend; truths are told, long-buried secrets are revealed, sexual escapades are had and Motown tunes are played. It’s the kind of big, busy movie where actors typically have to make a lot of noise to stick out — but Hurt goes in the opposite direction, playing his impotent, drug-addicted vet character with a kind of quiet, simmering pain that’s impossible to shake. Stream on Tubi. Rent or buy on Amazon, Apple, YouTube, Vudu and Google Play.
