“Harold and Maude” Star Bud Cort Dies at 77

Bud Cort, the actor who became indelibly associated with the title role in the 1971 cult classic Harold and Maude, has died. He was 77.

Cort died on February 11 in Connecticut following a lengthy illness, according to multiple reports. His longtime friend Dorian Hannaway confirmed his death. A memorial service will be held at a later date in Los Angeles.

Over a career that spanned more than five decades, Cort built a reputation as a distinctive screen presence, blending vulnerability, eccentricity and quiet intensity. Though he appeared in dozens of films and television projects, it was his performance as the morbid young Harold Chasen that cemented his place in film history.

Breakthrough in "Harold and Maude"

Released in 1971 and directed by Hal Ashby, Harold and Maude tells the story of a 20-year-old man obsessed with death who forms an unlikely bond with Maude, a 79-year-old Holocaust survivor played by Ruth Gordon. The film struggled commercially upon release but later became an enduring cult favorite.

Cort’s chemistry with Gordon during auditions convinced Ashby and writer Colin Higgins to cast him in the lead role. The performance earned Cort nominations for a Golden Globe Award for best actor in a musical or comedy and a BAFTA Award as most promising newcomer.

Filmmaker Cameron Crowe described the film’s enduring power in 2011, saying: “A young man obsessed with death falls in love with an old woman obsessed with life. She dies and teaches the kid how to live. And it’s done with music [by Cat Stevens] that scratches at your soul... that movie holds up — to this minute.”

The film’s themes of mortality and transformation resonated deeply with audiences over time, and Cort’s portrayal of Harold became one of the most recognizable performances of the New Hollywood era.

Early Career and Rise in Hollywood

Born Walter Edward Cox in 1948 in Rye, New York, Cort later changed his name to avoid confusion with character actor Wally Cox. He attended school in New Rochelle and developed an early love for performance, later recalling in a 1984 interview with PEOPLE, “Acting is and always has been my life. I was playing Santa Claus when I was four.”

Though admitted to the NYU School of the Arts as a scenic design major rather than an acting student, Cort pursued performance opportunities in commercials and theater. His first screen credit came on the soap opera The Doctors.

Director Robert Altman spotted Cort in a theatrical revue and cast him in a small role in 1970’s M*A*S*H. Altman then gave him the lead in Brewster McCloud, a surreal comedy about a young man who dreams of flight. Sally Kellerman, who co-starred in the film, later recalled of first seeing Cort, “Although I didn’t know who he was, I said ‘Oh, boy. We’re going to be best friends.’”

A Career of Character Roles

Following Harold and Maude, Cort appeared in a wide range of film and television projects. His credits included She Dances Alone (1981), Electric Dreams (1984), Michael Mann’s Heat (1995), Kevin Smith’s Dogma (1999), Coyote Ugly (2000) and Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004). He also co-wrote, directed and starred in the 1991 film Ted and Venus.

Cort lent his voice to the character Toyman in DC Comics animated series including Superman: The Animated Series, Static Shock and Justice League Unlimited.

On stage, he made his Broadway debut in 1972 in Simon Gray’s Wise Child. In 1974, he co-founded the LA Classic Theatre Works alongside Richard Dreyfuss, Rene Auberjonois and others, contributing to Los Angeles’ theatrical landscape. At one point, Cort lived with comedian Groucho Marx, further cementing his ties to entertainment history.

Personal Struggles and Resilience

In 1979, Cort survived a devastating car accident on a Hollywood freeway that left him with fractures to his arm, leg and skull, along with lasting scars from multiple surgeries. The accident disrupted his career and forced him into a prolonged recovery.

“I try not to look in mirrors,” he told PEOPLE in 1984. “But I'm getting on with my life.”

Despite the setback, Cort continued working in film and television, gradually rebuilding his career.

Tributes From Friends and Colleagues

News of Cort’s death prompted tributes from friends and admirers. Actress Jamie Lee Curtis shared memories on social media, recalling meeting Cort on an airplane during her Trading Places publicity tour. She wrote that a friend later arranged for him “to come and be a male stripper at my wedding shower.”

“He just came in and did his thing and then split. My mother [Janet Leigh] was in attendance and absolutely loved it,” Curtis wrote. “He was a talented and interesting person, and I am glad that the universe brought us into orbit with each other for a brief time.”

Roslyn Kind also shared a remembrance, recalling meeting Cort when they were teenagers and becoming close friends who shared a love of entertainment. “His unique spirit will always be with me,” she said.

An Enduring Legacy

Though he never became a conventional leading man, Cort’s impact on American film is lasting. Harold and Maude remains a touchstone for generations of viewers drawn to its blend of dark humor and life-affirming message. More than 50 years after its release, the film continues to screen in theaters and inspire new audiences.

Cort is survived by his siblings, including his brother Joseph Cox and sisters Kerry Cox, Tracy Cox Berkman and Shelly Cox Dufour, along with extended family members.

For many, Bud Cort will forever be Harold, the solemn young man who learned how to live. His performance helped shape one of cinema’s most beloved cult classics, and his distinctive voice and presence left a mark on Hollywood that endures.

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