Mary Beth Hurt, the acclaimed stage and screen actress known for The Age of Innocence, Six Degrees of Separation, and The World According to Garp, has died at 79 after a decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Her daughter, Molly Schrader, shared the news on Instagram, writing that her mother passed peacefully and is “no longer suffering,” remembering her as a woman who embraced every role in life with grace and quiet strength. Born on September 25, 1946, in Marshalltown, Iowa, Hurt discovered her passion for acting at a young age.

She studied at the University of Iowa and New York University, building the foundation for a career that would span decades across stage, film, and television. Hurt made her stage debut in 1974 and went on to earn three Tony Award nominations for Trelawny of the Wells, Crimes of the Heart, and Benefactors. Her film breakthrough came in Woody Allen’s Interiors (1978), earning her a BAFTA nomination.

She continued with standout roles in Chilly Scenes of Winter, The World According to Garp, The Age of Innocence, and Six Degrees of Separation, as well as later appearances in The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Young Adult. On television, she appeared in Law & Order, Thirtysomething, and Saturday Night Live.

Hurt was married to actor William Hurt before later marrying filmmaker Paul Schrader, with whom she had two children. She spent her final days in an assisted living facility in New Jersey. Mary Beth Hurt leaves behind a lasting legacy defined by depth, intelligence, and emotional honesty. Her performances continue to resonate, remembered by audiences and colleagues alike as both powerful and deeply human.