NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Mary Beth Hurt, a Tony Award-nominated actor who starred on Broadway in 鈥淏enefactors鈥� with and reunited with Close for the movie has died. She was 79.
Hurt died Saturday in New Jersey after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2015, according to her daughter, Molly Schrader. Hurt was the wife of and appeared in his movies 鈥淎ffliction鈥� and 鈥淟ight Sleeper.鈥� He had moved into Hunt’s senior-living facility in 2023 to stay close to her.
鈥淪he was an actress, a wife, a sister, a mother, an aunt, a friend,鈥� her daughter wrote in an Instagram post, saying Hurt took on those roles 鈥渨ith grace and a kind ferocity.鈥�
鈥淎lthough we鈥檙e grieving there is some comfort in knowing she is no longer suffering and is reunited with her sisters in peace,鈥� she added.
The Iowa-born Hurt, who graduated from New York University’s graduate theater studies program in 1969, earned three Tony nominations during her career, for performances in 鈥淭relawny of the Wells鈥� in 1975, 鈥淐rimes of the Heart鈥� in 1981 and 鈥淏enefactors鈥� in 1985. She was last on Broadway playing a nun in a revival of 鈥淭he House of Blue Leaves鈥� in 2011 with Ben Stiller and Edie Falco.
鈥淚鈥檝e never been extremely comfortable playing the lead,鈥� she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2010. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 like the responsibility; there鈥檚 a feeling that I have to be good. Besides, I found secondary parts much more interesting, especially when I was younger and the ing茅nue roles were pretty bland.鈥�
Her movie credits include in 1993, 鈥淐hilly Scenes of Winter鈥� in 1979, 鈥淭he Age of Innocence鈥� in 1993, 鈥淎utumn in New York鈥� in 2000, 鈥淭he Exorcism of Emily Rose鈥� in 2005, 鈥淭he Dead Girl鈥� in 2006, 鈥淟ady in the Water鈥� also 2006 and 鈥淵oung Adult鈥� in 2011. She made her made her big-screen debut in Woody Allen’s 鈥淚nteriors鈥� in 1978.
Hurt was married to late actor William Hurt from 1971 to 1982 and married Schrader in 1983. She is also survived by a son, Sam.
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