Marlee Matlin's 1987 Oscar Win: Fear and William Hurt

Marlee Matlin’s Fearful 1987 Oscar Moment with William Hurt: A Complex Reflection

By M Muzamil Shami - January 24, 2025

 

 Marlee Matlin’s historic 1987 Oscar win for "Children of a Lesser God" is now remembered with a complex layer of emotion, as she recalls being “afraid” of William Hurt during the ceremony. This revelation comes from the new documentary, Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, offering an intimate look at Matlin's challenging relationship with the late actor.

William Hurt, who passed away in 2022 at 71, shared both a professional and personal history with Matlin after they co-starred in the 1986 film Children of a Lesser God. Their on-screen romance as James Leeds and Sarah Norman, a teacher and his deaf student, mirrored a real-life relationship, but Matlin has since been candid about the complexities and difficulties of their time together.

In 1987, Matlin made history by becoming the youngest Best Actress Oscar winner for her powerful performance in Children of a Lesser God. The moment should have been purely celebratory, but Hurt himself presented her with the award, creating a moment fraught with tension, as revealed in the documentary.

“I was afraid as I walked up the stairs to get the Oscar,” Matlin recalls in the film, as reported by People. “I was afraid because I knew in my gut that he wasn’t happy. Because I saw the look on his face, and my thought was, ‘S–t!’” This reveals the undercurrent of unease present during a landmark achievement.

After sharing an on-stage kiss with Hurt, a moment captured by countless cameras, Matlin admits she hesitated to take the Oscar from him. This hesitation speaks volumes about the emotional dynamics at play.

“I didn’t take the Oscar from him right away,” she explains. “I wish it were different. I wish I had shown my joy. But I was afraid because he was standing right there.” This candid reflection underscores the emotional impact Hurt’s presence had on her.

This isn’t the first time Matlin has publicly addressed Hurt’s behavior that night. In Dave Karger’s 2024 book, 50 Oscar Nights, she shared a particularly dismissive comment Hurt made about her win. According to Matlin, he questioned her worthiness of the award, saying, “‘So you have that little man there next to you. What makes you think you deserve it?’”

She continued, recounting her reaction: “I looked at him like, ‘What do you mean?’ And he said, ‘A lot of people work a long time, especially the ones you were nominated with, for a lot of years to get what you got with one film.’” This interaction further illuminates the complexities and challenges of their relationship, casting a shadow on what should have been a purely triumphant moment in Marlee Matlin’s career. The documentary Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore provides further context to this complex relationship.