Mary Beth Hurt, the Tony-nominated actress known for her roles in films such as Interiors and The World According to Garp, has died at the age of 79. Her death was confirmed in a joint Facebook post by her daughter, Molly Schrader, and her husband, writer and director Paul Schrader. The cause was Alzheimer's disease.
Born Mary Beth Supinger, she made her Broadway debut in 1974 and earned Tony nominations for her performances in Crimes of the Heart, Trelawny of the Wells, and Benefactors. She was married to actor William Hurt from 1971 to 1982.
Her film debut came in Woody Allen's 1978 drama Interiors, for which she received critical acclaim. Other notable films include The World According to Garp (1982), Slaves of New York (1989), The Age of Innocence (1993), and Six Degrees of Separation (1993). She also appeared in films directed by her second husband, Paul Schrader, including Light Sleeper (1992) and Affliction (1997).
In a 1989 interview with the New York Times, Hurt said she worked selectively, noting that many film roles offered to her were uninteresting. She expressed a preference for ensemble work, stating in 2010 that she found secondary parts more compelling than lead roles. Her later work included Young Adult, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Lady in the Water, and Change in the Air.
