Stars remember William Hurt as 'beyond brilliant' actor

March 14 (UPI) -- Albert Brooks, Mark Ruffalo and other stars are honoring William Hurt in the wake of his death.

Celebrities paid tribute to Hurt on social media Sunday after the actor died at age 71.

Brooks, who worked with Hurt on the 1987 film Broadcast News, mourned the actor on Twitter.

"R.I.P. William hurt. So sad to hear this news. Working with him on Broadcast News was amazing. He will be greatly missed," Brooks wrote.

M. Night Shyamalan, who directed Hurt in the 2004 film The Village, also remembered the actor online.

"I'm so sad to hear of the passing of William Hurt. I had the privilege of directing him in The Village. He was a master of his acting craft. Every take was new and revealing. #rip," Shyamalan said.

Mark Ruffalo, who starred with Hurt in Avengers: Infinity War and other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, remembered Hurt as a "great actor."

"Wow, another Major loss to the acting community. Great actor. Great mind. RIP," Ruffalo tweeted.

Russell Crowe recalled a moment from his time with Hurt on the set of the 2010 film Robin Hood.

"William Hurt has passed. On Robin Hood, I was aware of his reputation for asking character based questions, so I had compiled a file on the life of William Marshall. He sought me out when he arrived on set. I handed him the stack. Not sure if I've ever seen a bigger smile. RIP," Crowe wrote.

Patton Oswalt remembered Hurt as a "beyond brilliant" actor.

"William Hurt was a beyond brilliant film & stage actor, and then he went and guested on @TheKOQ and was so deadpan, low-key hilarious. 'This is good cake. And I'm not a cake guy.' RIP," Oswalt said.

Hurt died Sunday morning at his home in Portland, Ore. The actor was known for such films as Broadcast News, Body Heat and Kiss of the Spider Woman, and for playing Thaddeus Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.