46. William Hurt - Kiss Of the Spider Woman

46. William Hurt - Kiss Of the Spider Woman

You probably know William Hurt best for 'Body Heat,' 'Altered States,' 'Syriana' and his appearances in the 'Avengers' series of films, but he also put in a terrific and powerful performance as Luis Molina in 1985's 'Kiss of The Spider Woman.' Although the name might make it seem like another superhero-themed role for Hurt, it's anything but.

The movie sees him play across from screen great Raul Julia in a movie that contains very few other characters. Hurt's character is a transgender woman, serving time for illicit sexual encounters, and an unlikely friendship develops between her and Julia's battle-hardened left-wing revolutionary. The friendship eventually evolves into a romance that can never be, with Hurt beguiling in his role, wholly committed to the character and making an emotional connection with the audience. This is a dark, disturbing and yet somehow inspiring film, which just wouldn't work without the greatness of Hurt's work.

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Did You Know...

I

Most of your favorite celebrities either studied acting in college or went straight from high school into a life of the arts. But, hey, not all of them. Some celebrities actually have advanced college degrees.

II

Turns out Mayim Bialik is just as much of a genius as the one she plays on The Big Bang Theory. She earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles, focusing on obsessive compulsive disorder among people with Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare condition in which the hypothalamus malfunctions.

III

Little known fact: Natalie Portman skipped the premiere of Star Wars: Phantom Menace because she was studying for her high school exams. She had two papers published in scientific journals while she was still in high school, and graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in Psychology.

IV

Before he was looking for answers on X-Files, David Duchovny was just trying to find the answers for English finals at Princeton University90. David graduated from Princeton in 1982 with a B.A in English. He continued to feed his love of literature by receiving a master’s degree in English Literature at Yale University. David was an excellent writer and poet. His work consistently received praise by his fellow classmates and teachers at Yale. His writing was even nominated for a college prize by the Academy of American Poets.

V

Sigourney Weaver graduated from Stanford University in 1971 with a bachelor’s in Literature. It was while studying at Stanford that Sigourney realized her true passion in life was to become an actress. Shortly after graduation, she attended Yale for their well-known drama program. She would go on to receive a master’s in Acting from Yale University and become friends with fellow famous actress Meryl Streep.

VI

Meryl Streep is considered one of the most successful actresses of all time. She is also one of the most highly educated. Before collecting an array of Oscars, Meryl collected diplomas. She graduated from Vassar College with a B.A. in 1971. Meryl has a habit of being unsatisfied with impressive accomplishments as her acting career has shown, so she attended Yale University and earned a master’s degree in Acting.

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