Bud Cort, the celebrated actor who became widely recognized for his role opposite Ruth Gordon in the 1971 cult classic “Harold and Maude,” has passed away at the age of 77. His death followed a prolonged illness, as confirmed by longtime friend and television producer Dorian Hannaway.
According to Hannaway, Cort died on Wednesday in Connecticut, although she did not disclose further details regarding his illness.
Born Walter Edward Cox on March 29, 1948, in Rye, New York, Cort began his career in entertainment as a stand-up comedian in New York City during the late 1960s. It was here that he caught the attention of director Robert Altman, who cast him in the films “M*A*S*H” and “Brewster McCloud” in 1970.
Cort’s breakthrough role came in 1971 with Hal Ashby’s unconventional comedy “Harold and Maude.” He portrayed Harold, an eccentric young man with a fascination for death, who embarks on a unique romance with Maude, a spirited 79-year-old Holocaust survivor played by the Academy Award-winning Ruth Gordon.
“Harold and Maude” gradually evolved from a midnight movie favorite to a beloved cult classic, earning a spot on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 Best Romantic Comedies.
Describing the film for AFI, Cameron Crowe remarked, “A young man obsessed with death falls in love with an old woman obsessed with life. She dies and teaches the kid how to live.” Crowe also praised the film’s Cat Stevens soundtrack, adding, “It’s done with music that scratches at your soul… that movie holds up — to this minute.”
However, the role became “a blessing and a curse,” Cort told the LA Times in 1996, saying he was often typecast as gawky, social outcasts.
“I was typecast to the point where I didn’t make a film for five years,” Cort said. “I fought certain opportunities off because I wasn’t ready to be a brand name. In retrospect, I should have done everything.”
He noted he rejected a stream of “weirdo” roles, including in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” which later won five Oscars.
Over the course of Cort’s nearly 50-year acting career, he had memorable supporting turns in 1995’s “Heat,” as an unscrupulous restaurant manager, and Wes Anderson’s 2004 hit “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” as a sensitive bond company stooge.
He also appeared in hits like “Dogma,” “Coyote Ugly” and “Pollock.” He continued acting throughout the 2010s, though he increasingly took on voice roles in animated series and movies such as “Static Shock,” “Justice League Unlimited” and “The Little Prince.”
