Mary Beth Hurt, Acclaimed Actor from Garp and Interiors, Passes Away at 79
The thoughtful and understated actor Mary Beth Hurt, who has died at the age of 79, saw her early career intersect with a notably intellectual period in American cinema. She earned a Bafta nomination for her role as one of the three sisters in Woody Allen's Chekhov-influenced film Interiors in 1978, before making a memorable impact as Robin Williams's lively college professor wife in the John Irving adaptation The World According to Garp in 1982.
Early Career and Breakthrough Roles
In Interiors, marking her movie debut, Hurt portrayed the directionless Joey, who finds purpose in trying to save her overbearing mother, played by Geraldine Page, from drowning. Despite being Allen's gloomiest work, the film achieved commercial success, grossing $10 million on a $3 million budget. Hurt held her own among esteemed co-stars, though she lost the Bafta most promising newcomer award to Christopher Reeve for Superman. This early success set the stage for her four-decade film career.
However, there were initial setbacks. Hurt secured the female lead over Jamie Lee Curtis in Joan Micklin Silver's Head Over Heels in 1979, playing a married woman who captivates a civil servant, portrayed by John Heard. The film faced studio uncertainties and an imposed happy ending, with critics like Vincent Canby of the New York Times noting the material's shortcomings despite the actors' talents.
A more significant misstep followed with the marital drama A Change of Seasons in 1980, featuring Shirley MacLaine, Anthony Hopkins, and Bo Derek in an improbable love triangle. Hurt, cast as the daughter, witnessed on-set conflicts, and the film struggled despite reshoots, failing to attract audiences.
Rise to Prominence with The World According to Garp
The World According to Garp provided a crucial turning point. Hurt's character, Helen Holm, was central to one of the film's most iconic scenes: Robin Williams's Garp, suspecting infidelity, crashes his car with their children into another vehicle where Helen is engaged in oral sex with her younger lover, resulting in tragic consequences. This tonal blend, which also included John Lithgow as a transsexual football player, proved both a critical and commercial hit, earning Oscar nominations for Lithgow and Glenn Close.
For Hurt, this role offered a rare chance to depict an openly sexual woman, diverging from her typical casting as the 'girl men marry.' She reflected on this, noting her usual typecasting in more reserved parts.
Personal Background and Stage Career
Born in Marshalltown, Iowa, to Forrest Supinger, a wartime army officer, and Dolores Andre, Hurt had an early encounter with fame through babysitter Jean Seberg, an aspiring actor from her hometown. She studied drama at the University of Iowa and acting at the New York University School of the Arts, where she met and married William Hurt in 1971.
Her stage career showcased her versatility, debuting in 1973 in the rock musical More Than You Deserve as a 98-year-old Vietnamese man. She made her Broadway debut in 1974 in a revival of Love For Love opposite Glenn Close, and later earned Tony nominations for roles in Trelawny of the 'Wells' in 1976 and a 1982 revival of Crimes of the Heart.
Later Career and Personal Life
After divorcing William Hurt in December 1982, she married director Paul Schrader in August 1983, appearing in several of his films, including Light Sleeper and Affliction. She received a third Tony nomination in 1986 for Benefactors and took on diverse film roles, such as a suspected cannibal in Parents in 1989 and Manhattan socialites in The Age of Innocence and Six Degrees of Separation in 1993.
Hurt later portrayed Jean Seberg in From the Journals of Jean Seberg in 1995 and was nominated for an Independent Spirit award for her role in The Dead Girl in 2006. Her final stage appearance was in a 2011 revival of The House of Blue Leaves, and her last film before an Alzheimer's diagnosis was Change in the Air in 2018.
She often preferred supporting roles, explaining in 2009 that she found the nuances of everyday characters more intriguing than lead parts. Hurt is survived by her husband Paul Schrader and their two children, Molly and Sam.
