Bud Cort, the actor forever associated with his haunting and lovely performance in the 1971 cult classic Harold and Maude, has died at 77.
Bud Cort, the actor forever associated with his haunting and lovely performance in the 1971 cult classic Harold and Maude, has died at 77. He passed away Wednesday in Connecticut following a long illness, according to his longtime friend Dorian Hannaway.
Genre titles Cort appeared in include Out of the Dark, Brain Dead (1990), Bates Motel (1988), and The Number 23. He became a counterculture icon for his role as Harold, a death obsessed 20 year old whose life changes when he forms an unlikely bond with a free spirited 79 year old woman named Maude.
Born Walter Edward Cox in Rye, New York, he later moved to Los Angeles, where he began working with director Robert Altman, appearing in MASH before taking the lead in Brewster McCloud.
Over the years, Cort built a varied career with roles in films including Heat, Dogma, The Life Aquatic, Coyote Ugly, and Pollock. He also voiced roles in several DC animated projects like Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series.
He survived a devastating car accident in 1979 that required multiple surgeries and impacted his career. A memorial will be held in Los Angeles at a later date.
