Bud Cort has died at the age of 77.
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The actor was perhaps best known for his role in the 1971 cult classic, Harold and Maude. In the film, he played a 20-year-old obsessed with death. He then meets the 79-year-old Holocaust survivor Maude, who has a lust for life. The two then begin a romantic relationship.
Cort's death was reported by Variety and confirmed by his friend Dorian Hannaway.
Bud Cort Was an Art Major
Cort was born Walter Edward Cox in Rye, New York, and went to school in New Rochelle. Changing his name to avoid confusion with character actor Wally Cox, Cort reportedly enjoyed attending Broadway shows.
"I was only fourteen when I met Bud at the backstage door at my sister's play," said actress Roslyn Kind in a statement. "He was majoring in art at the time in high school. We became close friends who shared our interest in entertainment. When I got married, Bud and our songwriter friend, Bruce Roberts, wrote a special song that was performed at the ceremony. His unique spirit will always be with me."
The actor then moved to Los Angeles. Robert Altman cast him in a small role in his 1970 comedy M*A*S*H. That led the director to cast him in the titular role in another quirky comedy, Brewster McCloud. In the film, Cort plays a man who wants to fly. His co-star was Sally Kellerman, who played the character's guardian angel.
"We were in the line for lunch when I spotted him," said Kellerman. "Although I didn't know who he was, I said, 'Oh, boy. We're going to be best friends.'"
Despite a Disastrous Car Accident, Bud Cort Continued To Work
In 1979, Cort survived a horrendous car accident. It took numerous surgeries for him to recover. However, he continued to work for decades. He worked on the films She Dances Alone, Electric Dreams, Heat, Dogma, Coyote Ugly, Pollock, and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
He also was the voice of Toyman in Superman: The Animated Series and its spin-offs. Cort even co-wrote, starred, and directed the 1991 film Ted and Venus.
A memorial is being planned for a later date in Los Angeles.
