Mary Beth Hurt (''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

'' Supringer; born September 25, 1946) is an American actress of stage and screen. She is a three-time

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

-nominated actress. Notable films in which Hurt has appeared include '' Interiors'' (1978), ''

The World According to Garp ''The World According to Garp'' is John Irving's fourth novel, about a man, born out of wedlock to a feminist leader, who grows up to be a writer. Published in 1978, the book was a bestseller for several years. It was a finalist for the Nation ...

'' (1982), ''

The Age of Innocence ''The Age of Innocence'' is a 1920 novel by American author Edith Wharton. It was her twelfth novel, and was initially serialized in 1920 in four parts, in the magazine '' Pictorial Review''. Later that year, it was released as a book by D. App ...

'' (1993), and '' Six Degrees of Separation'' (1993). She has also collaborated with her husband, filmmaker

Paul Schrader Paul Joseph Schrader (; born July 22, 1946) is an American screenwriter, film director, and film critic. He first received widespread recognition through his screenplay for Martin Scorsese's ''Taxi Driver'' (1976). He later continued his collabo ...

, in such films as '' Light Sleeper'' (1992) and '' Affliction'' (1997).

Early life

Hurt was born Mary Beth Supinger in

Marshalltown, Iowa Marshalltown is a city in and the county seat of Marshall County, Iowa, United States, located along the Iowa River. It is the seat and most populous settlement of Marshall County and the 16th largest city in Iowa, with a population of 27,591 at ...

, the daughter of Delores Lenore (

Andre) and Forrest Clayton Supinger. Her childhood babysitter was actress

Jean Seberg Jean Dorothy Seberg (; ; November 13, 1938August 30, 1979) was an American actress who lived half of her life in France. Her performance in Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 film ''Breathless'' immortalized her as an icon of French New Wave cinema. Seb ...

, also a Marshalltown native. Hurt studied drama at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 co ...

and at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

's Graduate Acting Program at the Tisch School of the Arts.

Career

Hurt made her New York stage debut in 1974. She was nominated for three

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

for her Broadway performances in '' Trelawny of the Wells'', '' Crimes of the Heart'' (for which she won an

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the ...

), and '' Benefactors''. Hurt made her film debut in

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

's dramatic film '' Interiors'' (1978) as Joey, the second of three sisters dealing with the emotional fallout of a family's disintegration and their mother's descent into mental illness. Hurt's powerful turn in that film earn her a BAFTA. Other film roles include Laura in ''

Chilly Scenes of Winter ''Chilly Scenes of Winter'' is Ann Beattie's first novel, published by Doubleday in 1976. The marketing copy from the paperback edition declared, "This is the story of a love-smitten Charles; his friend Sam, the Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Ka ...

'' (1979); Helen Holm Garp in ''

'' (1982); and Regina Beaufort in

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...

's ''

''. Hurt also played Jean Seberg, in voiceover, in

Mark Rappaport Mark Rappaport (born January 15, 1942 in New York City, United States) is an American independent/underground film director and film critic, who has been working sporadically since the early 1970s. Biography Born and raised in Brighton Beach, ...

's 1995 documentary ''From the Journals of Jean Seberg''. Hurt was nominated for the

Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female The Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female was an award presented annually by Film Independent. It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an absolutely outstanding performance in a supporting role while working in an indepen ...

for her performance in 2006 movie ''

The Dead Girl ''The Dead Girl'' is a 2006 American drama thriller film written and directed by Karen Moncrieff, starring Brittany Murphy, Toni Collette, Rose Byrne and Marcia Gay Harden. The film was nominated for several 2007 Independent Spirit Awards includ ...

''. For her role in '' Crimes of the Heart'' (1981) she was nominated for

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...

and earned an

. In addition to these honors, Hurt also received a Clarence Derwent Award in 1975 for Best Supporting Female for her role in the Off-Broadway production of the play ''Love for Love''.

Personal life

Hurt was married to actor William Hurt from 1971 to 1982. She married writer/film director

in 1983; the couple have a daughter and a son. She is close friends with fellow actor Glenn Close, who understudied her in the play ''

Love for Love ''Love for Love'' is a Restoration comedy written by British playwright William Congreve. It premiered on 30 April 1695 at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre. Staged by Thomas Betterton's company the original cast included Betterton as Valentin ...

'' in 1974.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theater

References

External links

* * *
Profile at Internet Theatre Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hurt, Mary Beth Actresses from Iowa American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Living people Obie Award recipients People from Marshalltown, Iowa University of Iowa alumni 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Tisch School of the Arts alumni 1946 births