Ben Stiller Pays Tribute To The Late William Hurt, Who ‘Put Everything Into His Work’

Actor Ben Stiller is mourning the loss of a great acting talent.

On Sunday, March 13, 2022, Oscar-winning actor William Hurt passed away at the age of 71.

In a statement shared by his son, Will Hurt, he said that his father passed away peacefully of natural causes. “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 statement, as reported by Deadline, read. “The family requests privacy at this time.”

Hurt leaves behind sons Will, 31, and Samuel, 32, with Heidi Henderson. He also had a son Alexander, 39, with Sandra Jennings. He also leaves behind a daughter, Jeanne, with Sandrine Bonnaire.

“The Night at the Museum” star posted a long, touching tribute to the late William Hurt and explained that both he and his sister had grown up around Hurt after their father worked with him on a successful Broadway play that ran for several years on Broadway.

He tweeted, “I’m very sad about the passing of William Hurt. A brilliant actor, who put everything into his work. I had a chance to spend time with when I was younger. My father worked with him in a play called Hurlyburly by David Rabe. They were both amazing in it.”

“The play was hit and ran for a couple of years on Broadway,” he continued. “Over that time Bill and my Dad became friendly. My sister and I were in our late teens and early twenties, both aspiring actors. He was at the height of his fame as a leading man, making smart, challenging mainstream movies.”

“He was so kind to my sister and I,” the “Zoolander” star recalled. “He spent time at our apartment, and came to visit my parents up in Nantucket. He would talk to us about acting, and the crest or process. He talked to us as if we were adults, not kids of his friend. He made a huge impact on both of us. He inspired us to be who we were and commit to the work. Mostly , he made us feel special and was kind.”

“I never saw him in the years after, except a couple of times. But I always held a place in my heart and have always been so grateful to have known him…” he concluded. “Watch his movies if you can and see a different kind of movie star, for whom the work was more important than status. He did great work. I hope he and Anne and Jerry are having a laugh somewhere now. #RIPWilliamHurt.”

Mark Ruffalo, who played the Hulk in the “Avengers” franchise, tweeted, “Wow, another Major loss to the acting community. Great actor. Great mind. RIP.”

M. Night Shyamalan tweeted, “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”

Stephen King tweeted, “Very sorry to hear about the passing of William Hurt. He was a fine actor, an Academy Award winner. He also did a classic reading of my story ‘Low Men in Yellow Coats,’ from HEARTS IN ATLANTIS. I loved hitchhiking on his immense talent.”

George Takei tweeted, “Saddened to hear of the passing of actor William Hurt. He broke the mold in his Oscar-winning role in Kiss of the Spider Woman, broke smiles in Broadcast News, and broke our hearts in The Accidental Tourist. A great loss to the world. Rest among the stars now, good sir.”

John Fugelsang tweeted, “God Bless William Hurt. There's no way to overstate how he dominated film acting in the 1980s. I had pics of him all over my wall as a teenager. He got an Oscar nom in ‘A History of Violence’ for 8 minutes of screen time. He used to call me ‘Birdsong’ in emails. Thank you, Bill”

Albert Brooks tweeted, “R.I.P. William Hurt. So sad to hear this news. Working with him on Broadcast News was amazing. He will be greatly missed.”