Bud Cort

Walter Edward Cox (March 29, 1948 – February 11, 2026), known professionally as Bud Cort, was an American actor known for his unorthodox starring roles in Robert Altman's Brewster McCloud, for which he was nominated for a Golden Laurel Award, and Hal Ashby's Harold and Maude (1971), for which he was nominated for both a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award. He also had supporting roles in films such as M*A*S*H (1970), Electric Dreams (1984), Heat (1995), Dogma (1999), Coyote Ugly (2000), Pollock (2000), and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004).

Cort also voiced Toyman over the course of various series in the DC Animated Universe, including Superman: The Animated Series, Static Shock, and Justice League Unlimited.

Early life Walter Edward "Bud" Cox was born in Rye, New York, on March 29, 1948, to Joseph, an orchestra leader, and Alma, a publicist for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He had a brother and three sisters. One of his nephews is Peter Berkman of the band Anamanaguchi.

Cort began taking acting lessons from William Hickey when he was 14. To avoid confusion with actor Wally Cox, he used his mother's maiden name as his stage surname, although he changed the original spelling of Court after Broadway's Cort Theatre. He attended Iona Preparatory School, where he frequently skipped classes to watch Broadway shows. After graduation, he attempted to attend acting classes at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, but was rejected, as the classes were already full; he applied again with a portfolio of paintings and was instead accepted as a scenic art major.

In 1979, Cort nearly died in a car crash on the Hollywood Freeway where he collided with an abandoned car blocking a lane into which he was turning. He broke an arm and a leg and sustained a concussion and a fractured skull. His face was severely lacerated and his lower lip nearly severed. The crash resulted in plastic surgeries, substantial hospital bills, a lost court case, and the disruption of his career.

He subsequently returned as a character actor and appeared in a number of film, stage and TV roles: Endgame, Sledge Hammer!, The Chocolate War, The Big Empty, Theodore Rex, Dogma, But I'm a Cheerleader, Pollock, The Twilight Zone, The Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud, and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

Cort made a guest appearance on the November 8, 2007, episode of Ugly Betty as the priest officiating at Wilhelmina Slater's wedding. In 2010, he guest-starred on Criminal Minds in the episode "Mosley Lane" as the elderly paedophile Roger Roycewood. In 2012, Cort appeared as the artist Gleeko in the Eagleheart episode "Exit Wound the Gift Shop".

Cort's voiceover roles include Edgar the computer in the film Electric Dreams; Toyman over the course of various DC Animated Universe series including Superman: The Animated Series, Static Shock, and Justice League Unlimited; and Josiah Wormwood in an episode of the earlier DCAU production Batman: The Animated Series. He can also be heard as The King in the English-language version of the feature film The Little Prince (2015), which premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and won the César Award for Best Animated Film in February 2016. It was made available to American audiences through Netflix in 2016. This proved to be the actors final film role.

Personal life and death Cort was never married and had no children. During the 1970s, he befriended Groucho Marx and lived at the comedian's guesthouse. At the time of his death, he was reported to be working on an autobiography.

He died of pneumonia at an assisted living facility in Norwalk, Connecticut, on February 11, 2026, at the age of 77. Harold and Maude Harold Parker Chasen Nominated—BAFTA Award for Most Promising NewcomerNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy 1975 Hallucination Strip Massimo Monaldi

Why Shoot the Teacher? Max Brown Pumping Iron Himself Scenes deleted 1978 Son of Hitler Willi Hitler 1980 Die Laughing Mueller 1981 She Dances Alone Director 1983 Hysterical Dr. John

The Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud Love Letters Danny De Fronso Electric Dreams Edgar, the Computer (voice) Maria's Lovers Harvey

Telephone Man Short Invaders from Mars Mark Weinstein

Love at Stake Parson Babcock The Chocolate War Brother Jacques 1989 Out of the Dark Doug Stringer

Going Under McNally Uncredited Brain Dead Jack Halsey 1991 Ted & Venus Ted Whitley Also director and co-writer

Girl in the Cadillac Bud Heat Solenko, Restaurant Manager Uncredited 1996 Theodore Rex Spinner

I Woke Up Early the Day I Died Shopkeeper Sweet Jane Dr. Geiler

Dogma John Doe Jersey (aka God) But I'm a Cheerleader Peter Bloomfield

South of Heaven, West of Hell Agent Otts The Million Dollar Hotel Shorty Coyote Ugly Romero Pollock Howard Putzel 2001 Made Bernardo, Gay House Owner Uncredited 2003 The Big Empty Neely 2004 The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Bill Ubell Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best CastNominated—Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Ensemble Cast 2007 The Number 23 Dr. Sirius Leary Uncredited 2014 Dream Corps LLC Carl Kwartz 2015 The Little Prince The King (voice) Winner—Behind the Voice Actor Awards for Best Vocal Ensemble in a TV Special/Direct-to-DVD Title or Short 2016 Affections Short film (final acting role)

Television