Mary Beth Hurt, a celebrated stage and screen actress nominated for three Tony Awards and known for roles in films such as Interiors and The World According to Garp, has died at the age of 79 following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Her death was confirmed in a joint Facebook statement from her daughter, Molly Schrader, and her husband, writer-director Paul Schrader.
«She was an actress, a wife, a sister, a mother, an aunt, a friend, and she took on all those roles with grace and kind ferocity,» the post read. «Although we’re all grieving there is some comfort in knowing she is no longer suffering and reunited with her sisters in peace.»
Career Highlights
Born Mary Beth Supinger in Marshalltown, Iowa, Hurt studied acting at the University of Iowa and New York University. She made her New York stage debut in 1974 and earned Tony nominations for Crimes of the Heart, Trelawny of the Wells and Benefactors, winning an Obie Award for Crimes of the Heart.
Her film debut came in Woody Allen’s 1978 Interiors, followed by notable performances in The World According to Garp, Chilly Scenes of Winter, Martin Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence, and Six Degrees of Separation. Hurt was known for choosing roles selectively, once telling The New York Times that she accepted only parts that interested her.
On television, she appeared in series including Law & Order, Thirtysomething and Kojak. She received an Indie Spirit nomination for 2006’s The Dead Girl and also featured in Young Adult, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Lady in the Water and Change in the Air.
Personal Life
Mary Beth Hurt was married to actor William Hurt from 1971 to 1981 and later collaborated professionally with Paul Schrader on films such as Affliction and Light Sleeper. She is survived by her husband, a daughter, and a son.
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