Bud Cort Dies: ‘Harold and Maude’ Star Was 77

Bud Cort, the actor best known for his role as Harold in the 1971 cult classic “Harold and Maude,” died Wednesday in Connecticut after a long illness. He was 77.

Cort’s death was reported by Variety, with longtime friend Dorian Hannaway confirming the news. Born Walter Edward Cox on March 29, 1948, in Rye, New York, Cort adopted his stage name to avoid confusion with character actor Wally Cox, according to Variety.

His breakthrough came through a collaboration with director Robert Altman, who initially gave Cort a minor role in the 1970 film “MASH.” Altman then cast him in the lead role in the same year’s “Brewster McCloud,” a comedy about a man who dreams of flying.

However, it was his portrayal of Harold, a 20-year-old preoccupied with death and fascinated by funerals, in Hal Ashby’s “Harold and Maude” that cemented Cort’s place in film history. The film, which co-starred Ruth Gordon as the vibrant 79-year-old Maude, initially struggled at the box office but later gained a devoted following. Cort received a BAFTA Award nomination for Most Promising Newcomer and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his performance.

According to a 1971 review in Variety, the film was described as having “all the fun and gaiety of a burning orphanage,” and praised Gordon’s performance as “an offensive eccentric.” The review too noted Cort’s success in portraying “the spoiled neurotic.”

Cort continued to work in film and television throughout his career, with credits including “Electric Dreams” (1984), “Heat” (1995), and “Coyote Ugly” (2000).

Singer Roslyn Kind recalled her friendship with Cort, telling Variety, “I was only fourteen when I met Bud at the backstage door at my sister’s play. He was majoring in art at the time in high school. We became close friends who shared our interest in entertainment. When I got married, Bud and our songwriter friend, Bruce Roberts, wrote a special song that was performed at the ceremony. His unique spirit will always be with me.”

Bud Cort is survived by his brother, Joseph Cox, and his sisters, Kerry Cox, Tracy Cox Berkman, and Shelly Cox Dufour, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. A memorial service is planned to be held in Los Angeles at a later date.