Bud Cort, 'Harold and Maude' star, dies at 77 following long illness

Bud Cort, the star of the 1971 cult classic Harold and Maude, has died at 77.

The actor passed away Wednesday, February 11, in Connecticut due to complications from pneumonia following a long illness. His friend and producer Dorian Hannaway confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter.

“Bud Cort was a savant at acting, at theatre, and he was blessed with a passion for this as a young man, as he loved art,” Hannaway told the outlet.

Born Walter Edward Cox in New Rochelle, New York, in 1948, Cort briefly attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and studied with famed acting coach Stella Adler before launching his professional career.

Director Robert Altman helped propel him to fame, casting him in M*A*S*H and Brewster McCloud before Cort landed his defining role as the death-obsessed Harold opposite Ruth Gordon in 1971’s Harold and Maude.

“As I was reading the script, I immediately knew it was going to be a classic film for the ages. There was no denying it,” Cort said in 2012. “Truthfully, it’s success came from the people.”

Despite surviving a devastating car crash in 1979, Cort continued acting for decades, appearing in films, television and voice roles, while also co-founding LA Classic Theatre Works