William Hurt recently portrayed Dr. Bruce Banner’s father, General Thaddeus Ross, in The Incredible Hulk and will reprise his role in the upcoming The Avengers movie set to release in 2012 as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This begs the question, what was Ross doing during the events of The Avengers? How did his relationship with his son change after the battle of New York and why did he never appear in any other Marvel movies before that? What role could he play going forward? William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross Endgame
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The character development
There are a lot of amazing actors in Marvel, however there is one actor that steals every scene he’s in. From The Big Chill to Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Altered States to A History of Violence, William Hurt has a way of making every character his own; molding them into masterful pieces of acting. He brings so much realism and weight to even his simplest characters.
Two iconic scenes
In The Incredible Hulk, William Hurt plays U.S. Army Col. Dr. Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross, who is also responsible for conducting a covert experiment on Bruce Banner (Eric Bana) in an attempt to replicate Dr. Erskine’s gamma radiation serum. It is in these scenes that we see a glimpse of his character’s endgame: He wants to use Banner and his gamma radiation abilities as weapons against enemies of America and possibly even humanity itself. His first scene with Dr.
The impact of the character
Actor William Hurt will appear in Avengers: Endgame and is not to be confused with Ned Stark, who was played by John Standing. The character appeared in previous films such as Captain America: Civil War and The Incredible Hulk. This movie follows on from 2018’s Infinity War, which saw many of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes fall victim to Thanos’ snap. These included Spider-Man, Black Panther, Scarlet Witch and Bucky Barnes. Many deaths are also expected during this final installment.
The lasting legacy of the character William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross Endgame
Though General Ross’ role in Endgame is far from substantial, his final scene remains one of its most memorable. Surrounded by fire and rubble, he utters a single sentence that instantly re-contextualizes his entire character: Who would have thought? In your wildest dreams? Hm?
The Dilemma of Playing a Villain
As an actor, it’s not often that you get to play the bad guy, but when you do, you don’t want to disappoint your audience or your director. One of the biggest challenges in playing the villain is that most of the time, they lack depth and character development, so it’s more about not taking yourself too seriously than anything else. Here are some tips on how to play a villain in movies and television shows.
Choosing the right director
When choosing a director for your film, think about his or her past body of work. If you find yourself attracted to more serious-minded works, then it may be best to hire someone with horror under their belt. For example, if you’re making an action movie and love Ron Howard’s work (like I do), then consider hiring him to direct.
Understanding your character
As with any role, you’ll need to get to know your character. It’s also true for villains. Figure out what motivates them, what their goal is and what sets them apart from other characters. If you can figure out these three things about your character—no matter if it’s in a film or in real life—you have more insight into playing that character.
Knowing your lines
This may sound obvious, but knowing your lines is one of your top priorities as an actor. If you miss your line, you look bad—even if it’s not your fault. Make sure you know what you need to say and where to be at every moment during filming so that no mistakes are made. There will always be things outside of your control, but taking responsibility for being prepared on set makes sure that these incidents won’t happen.
Working with actors you don’t like
It’s no secret that working with people you don’t care for isn’t easy. In fact, it can be downright difficult—both personally and professionally. But it happens all too often in Hollywood. The reality is, you’re not going to get along with everyone, but here are a few tips on how to make things go smoothly when working with someone who rubs you the wrong way: 1.
Developing chemistry with co-stars
Chemistry between actors is crucial in films and television shows, but developing that chemistry can sometimes be difficult. It’s not always easy to get comfortable with someone you’ve never met before, let alone trust them. While it can take some time to build on-screen chemistry, there are many tricks you can use during filming and preparation that will help create instant bonds between co-stars.
Overcoming disappointment when your favorite scenes get cut
William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross said, This is one of those dilemmas that I have, frankly, not figured out how to deal with. I do have feelings about it and I can’t pretend to be cavalier about it. When you get cut out—you know what it feels like. We’ve all been there: our favorite scene got cut from our favorite movie and we are disappointed.
Dealing with media questions
As an actor, you may find yourself cast in roles that require you to play a villain. No matter how good or bad your character is, it can be tough to deal with negative media coverage. If you’re looking for ways to handle these situations, here are some tips for interacting with journalists
Staying focused on other jobs while shooting
William Hurt spent an additional 3 months working on The Incredible Hulk even though his schedule was already extremely tight. He wasn’t technically in consideration for the role at that point, but since he had done such a great job in Children of a Lesser God and Kiss of the Spider Woman, they wanted to keep him on-hand.
Dealing with negative fan reaction William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross Endgame
In order to pull off any character, an actor must become that person. For example, when Robert De Niro played Al Capone in The Untouchables he didn’t stop at learning how to walk like him or talk like him—he became Al Capone by internalizing everything about Capone; his values, his prejudices, his anger.
