Bud Cort Dies: MAS*H and Harold and Maude Actor Was 77

Bud Cort spent his final years in an assisted-living facility in Connecticut, far from the Hollywood that made him a counterculture icon.​

The Harold and Maude star died February 11, 2026, at 77 from pneumonia complications. His friend Dorian Hannaway confirmed he’d battled a long illness before his death in Norwalk.

Cort was best known for playing Harold Chasen, a death-obsessed teenager who falls for Ruth Gordon’s 79-year-old Holocaust survivor in the 1971 cult classic that defined 1970s independent cinema.

The Numbers Behind His Life

• Date of death: February 11, 2026
• Final age: 77 years old​
• Cause of death: Pneumonia complications​
• Death location: Assisted-living facility, Norwalk, Connecticut​
• Real name: Walter Edward Cox​
• Birthdate: March 29, 1948​
• Birthplace: Rye, New York​
• Total credits: Over 80 films and TV series​
• Career span: 1970-2026​

The Role That Made and Limited Him

Harold and Maude turned Cort into “a household name and a film idol of the anti-establishment 1970s,” according to the New York Times. But it also “limited his growth as an actor”.​

He played Harold Chasen, a wealthy 19-year-old so fixated on death he drives a hearse to funerals and stages elaborate fake suicides that barely register with his bored mother. At funerals, he meets Maude (Ruth Gordon), who shares his death fascination but approaches life with radical joy.

Director Hal Ashby reveals the concentration camp number on Maude’s arm late in the film, explaining her deep perspective on mortality and survival. The unconventional romance earned Cort Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations.

Even decades later, fans constantly recognized him as Harold—forever typecast by his first major role.​

Robert Altman Discovered Him

Robert Altman found Cort performing in a revue and immediately cast him in two 1970 hits: MAS*H and Brewster McCloud. In MAS*H, Cort played the sensitive Private Boone.

Altman’s eye for unconventional talent launched Cort’s career. The director recognized that Cort’s quirky energy and expressive face made him perfect for offbeat characters.

During the 1970s, Cort appeared in the comedy-drama Why Shoot the Teacher? and a TV adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Bernice Bobs Her Hair with Shelley Duvall. He built a respectable career spanning stage, screen, and voice work.

Two Car Crashes Derailed Everything

In 1979, a serious car accident left Cort with fractures to his arm and leg that required plastic surgery. The injuries and recovery limited his career opportunities for years.​

Then in 2011, another car accident severely injured his arm. The damage made it challenging to find acting work in subsequent years.​

These accidents—32 years apart—may explain why Cort eventually needed assisted living care. The physical toll of two major crashes, combined with aging, likely contributed to his declining health.

He Found New Life in Voice Work

Cort reinvented himself through animation. He voiced characters in Batman, The Mask, and Superman.​

His television work included roles in Ugly Betty, Criminal Minds, and Arrested Development. He appeared in Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, introducing his unique energy to a new generation.

But Harold remained his defining role. Fans never stopped recognizing him as that death-obsessed teenager from 1971.​

Why Harold and Maude Still Matters

The film challenged every Hollywood rule. It made death contemplation acceptable, even beautiful. It presented a romance between a 19-year-old and 79-year-old as genuinely moving rather than absurd.

Cort’s vulnerability and deadpan delivery made audiences root for Harold. His performance turned an unconventional script into one of the most beloved cult classics of all time.

Born Walter Edward Cox on March 29, 1948, in Rye, New York, Cort built a career of over 40 films and countless stage productions. But he’ll forever be remembered as Harold Chasen—the boy who loved death until he met someone who loved life.

His Quiet Final Years

Cort died in an assisted-living facility in Norwalk, Connecticut—a quiet end for someone who once embodied 1970s counterculture rebellion. A family spokesperson confirmed pneumonia complications claimed him.​

His friend Dorian Hannaway, a television producer, was among those who confirmed his death after a prolonged illness. Cort had been living away from Hollywood’s spotlight for years.

He leaves behind a legacy of over 80 film and TV credits, but one role towers above the rest. Harold and Maude continues influencing independent filmmakers who see how Cort made the unconventional unforgettable.