William McChord Hurt, a renowned American actor, was born in Washington, D.C. to Claire Isabel (McGill) and Alfred McChord Hurt, a State Department employee. His educational background includes training at Tufts University and The Juilliard School.
Throughout his illustrious career, Hurt has received numerous accolades, including four Academy Award nominations, with his most recent nomination being for his supporting role in David Cronenberg's A History of Violence (2005). He received Best Supporting Actor awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Circle and the New York Film Critics Circle for the same role.
Before transitioning to film, Hurt spent his early years on the stage, appearing in over fifty productions, including "Henry V", "5th of July", "Hamlet", "Uncle Vanya", "Richard II", "Hurlyburly", for which he was nominated for a Tony Award, "My Life", winning an Obie Award for Best Actor, "A Midsummer's Night's Dream", and "Good".
In addition to his stage work, Hurt has also lent his voice to various radio productions, including Paul Theroux's "The Grand Railway Bazaar" for BBC Radio Four and Annie Proulx's "The Shipping News". He has also recorded "The Polar Express", "The Boy Who Drew Cats", "The Sun Also Rises", and narrated documentaries such as "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 UCLA, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the world of acting.
