Bud Cort, best known for playing Harold in the 1971 cult classic Harold and Maude, has died at 77 in Connecticut after a long illness, confirmed by his friend Dorian Hannaway.
Born Walter Edward Cox in 1948 in New Rochelle, New York, Cort began in theater and commercials before Robert Altman cast him in MASH* and Brewster McCloud, launching his film career. His iconic role as Harold, a young man obsessed with death whose life changes after meeting Maude (Ruth Gordon), cemented his legacy.
Cort later appeared in She Dances Alone, Electric Dreams, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Heat, Dogma, Coyote Ugly, and Pollock, and voiced Toyman in Superman: The Animated Series, Static Shock, and Justice League Unlimited. He also co-wrote, directed, and starred in Ted and Venus.
In 1979, he survived a serious car accident requiring multiple surgeries that affected his career. Bud Cort is survived by four siblings.