Bud Cort

Bud Cort, born Walter Edward Cox on March 29, 1948, in Rye, New York, was an American actor whose career spanned film, television, stage, and voice work. His father, Joseph, worked as an orchestra leader, and his mother, Alma, was a publicist for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Cort had a brother and three sisters, and his nephew Peter Berkman is a member of the band Anamanaguchi. To distinguish himself from actor Wally Cox, he adopted his mother's maiden name as his professional surname, altering the original spelling of Court to Cort after Broadway's Cort Theatre.

Cort began studying acting under William Hickey at age 14. He attended Iona Preparatory School, where he regularly skipped classes to attend Broadway productions. Following graduation, he sought admission to the acting program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts but was turned away due to full enrollment. He reapplied with a portfolio of paintings and was accepted as a scenic art major.

His professional acting career was launched when director Robert Altman discovered him in a revue and cast him in two films released in 1970: M*A*S*H, in a supporting role, and Brewster McCloud, in which Cort played the title character. His performance in Brewster McCloud earned him a Golden Laurel Award nomination. He then took on the lead role of Harold in Hal Ashby's Harold and Maude (1971), a performance that brought him nominations for both a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award. Though the film performed modestly upon its initial release, it achieved international cult status and was ranked number 69 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 Best Romantic Comedies.

In 1972, Cort appeared on Broadway in the play It's a Wise Child. His stage work extended beyond Broadway to include a production of Endgame, among other theatrical engagements.

In 1979, Cort was seriously injured in a car crash on the Hollywood Freeway after colliding with an abandoned vehicle. He sustained a broken arm and leg, a concussion, a fractured skull, and severe facial lacerations, including a nearly severed lower lip. The accident required multiple plastic surgeries and resulted in significant financial and professional setbacks, including a lost court case and a disruption to his career.

Cort continued working in film and television in the years that followed, appearing in supporting roles in Heat (1995), Dogma (1999), Coyote Ugly (2000), Pollock (2000), and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), among others. His television credits included appearances on Sledge Hammer!, The Twilight Zone, Criminal Minds, Ugly Betty, and Eagleheart.

His voice work was also extensive. He provided the voice of Edgar the computer in Electric Dreams (1984) and voiced Josiah Wormwood in an episode of Batman: The Animated Series. He went on to voice the character Toyman across multiple series in the DC Animated Universe, including Superman: The Animated Series, Static Shock, and Justice League Unlimited. He also voiced The King in the English-language version of the animated feature The Little Prince (2015), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and won the César Award for Best Animated Film in February 2016 before becoming available to American audiences through Netflix.

Cort died of pneumonia on February 11, 2026, at an assisted living facility in Norwalk, Connecticut. He was 77 years old.