'Harold and Maude’ fame actor Bud Cort passes away at 77

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of death, reader’s discretion is advised.Bud Cort, who was best known for his roles in ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’, ‘Harold and Maude’, ‘Dogma’, ‘Electric Dreams’, and ‘Ted & Venus’, has passed away. He was 77 at the time of his demise. In a statement made to Variety, Cort’s close friend and producer Dorian Hannaway confirmed the news of his passing. It was revealed that the famed actor passed away in Connecticut after suffering from complications from pneumonia. He had been battling the disease for a long time. Hannaway stated, “Bud Cort was a savant at acting, at theater, and he was blessed with a passion for this as a young man, as he loved art. He would hang out at the stage door with Barbra’s sister, Roslyn Kind. He would go to every performance he could. He just loved the theater. He wanted to be that creative person from the time he was a child.”The famed actor was born on March 29, 1948, in Rye, New York. He was born to the name Walter Edward Cox. However, early on in his career, he changed his name to set himself apart from his fellow actor, Wally Cox. After his schooling, he attended the NYU Tisch School of the Arts and studied acting as a subject with Stella Adler. He was discovered by none other than Robert Altman. Due to this, he was cast in two films: ‘M*A*S*H’ and ‘Brewster McCloud.’ He rose to fame after his supporting roles in both films were well received by critics and netizens alike at the time. Later on, he got one of the lead roles in the cult classic film ‘Harold and Maude.’ He played the role of Harold in the film and, to this day, is known for his character and acting prowess in that film.Beyond his career as an actor, Cort was also a business owner, after establishing himself in the entertainment industry. He started a non-profit art organization. He opened the company along with ‘Jaws’ actor Richard Dreyfuss and ‘M*A*S*H’ co-star Rene Auberjonois.