Shy and seductive star, versatile and chameleonic performer, William Hurt died a week before his 72nd birthday, "peacefully in the family, of natural causes", as announced by one of his sons.

Oscar winner for "Kiss of the Spider Woman" in 1986, he was nominated again for the statuette in 1987 for "Children of a Lesser God" by Randa Haines, in 1988 for "Inside the news" by James L. Brooks and in 2006 for David Cronenberg's “A History of Violence”. He was also nominated for a Tony Award in 1985 for "Hurlyburly" and twice for an Emmy in 2009 for the series "Damages" and in 2011 for the TV movie "Too Big to Fail."

A childhood marked by the divorce of his parents, an adolescence touched by the premature death of his mother, a turbulent married life, a professional life troubled by physical abuse and drug use did not stop the actor, born in Washington in 1950, a career kissed by success since the first interpretation, "States of hallucination" of 1980.

CAREER - In him the director Ken Russell caught the astonished and deep expression of the big blue eyes, the restrained fire of always pushing himself to the extreme.

It is no coincidence that the protagonist of the story (written and then disavowed by Paddy Chayefsky) follows the scientific research, then overwhelmed by a dreamlike delirium, of Eddie Jesuyp who tries on himself the sensory deprivation tank (also used by astronauts) and drugs of the shamans.

Immediately nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Emerging Actor, Hurt owes immediate confirmation a year later to another English director, Peter Yates who in "An Inconvenient Witness" transforms him into the night watchman Darryl Deever, drawn into a shady international intrigue for love by anchorwoman Sigourney Weaver. In the same 1981, the young actor meets the meeting of (professional) life and finds himself, in just one night, elected as a sex symbol for the world audience and Hollywood star. In fact, it is Lawrence Kasdan who wants him to be the protagonist of the noir "Hot Thrill" from the story by James C. Cain.

THE YEARS OF GREAT SUCCESSES - In 1986 comes the Oscar for best actor for "The Kiss of the Spider Woman" by Hector Babenco, from the claustrophobic novel by Manuel Puig.