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 (1970), 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.Bud Cort, 'Harold and Maude' Star, Dies at 77 After Long Illness
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.
Career Cort was discovered in a revue by director Robert Altman, who subsequently cast him in two of his movies in 1970, M*A*S*H and Brewster McCloud. In the latter, he played the title role. Cort went on to his best-known role as the suicide-obsessed Harold in Harold and Maude. Though it was not particularly successful on release, it gained international cult status and is now considered an American classic, ranking Number 69 on the American Film Institute's 100 Best Romantic Comedies.
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 actor's 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.
Filmography
Film Year Film Role Notes1967Up the Down StaircaseStudentUncredited1969Sweet CharityHippie1970M*A*S*H Pvt. Lorenzo BooneThe Strawberry StatementElliot—CoxswainThe Traveling ExecutionerJimmy CroftBrewster McCloudBrewster McCloudNominated—Laurel Award for Male Star of Tomorrow1971Gas-s-s-sHooper Harold and MaudeHarold Parker ChasenNominated—BAFTA Award for Most Promising NewcomerNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy1975Hallucination StripMassimo Monaldi1977Why Shoot the Teacher?Max BrownPumping IronHimself Scenes deleted1978Son of HitlerWilli Hitler1980Die LaughingMueller1981She Dances AloneDirector1983HystericalDr. John1984The Secret Diary of Sigmund FreudSigmund FreudLove LettersDanny De FronsoElectric DreamsEdgar, the Computer (voice)Maria's LoversHarvey1986TelephoneManShortInvaders from MarsMark Weinstein1988Love at StakeParson BabcockThe Chocolate WarBrother Jacques1989Out of the DarkDoug Stringer1990Going UnderMcNallyUncreditedBrain DeadJack Halsey1991Ted & VenusTed WhitleyAlso director and co-writer1995Girl in the CadillacBudHeatSolenko, Restaurant ManagerUncredited1996Theodore RexSpinner1998I Woke Up Early the Day I DiedShopkeeperSweet JaneDr. Geiler1999DogmaJohn Doe Jersey (aka God)But I'm a CheerleaderPeter Bloomfield2000South of Heaven, West of HellAgent OttsThe Million Dollar HotelShortyCoyote UglyRomeroPollockHoward Putzel2001MadeBernardo, Gay House OwnerUncredited2003The Big EmptyNeely2004The Life Aquatic with Steve ZissouBill UbellNominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best CastNominated—Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Ensemble Cast2007The Number 23Dr. Sirius LearyUncredited2014Dream Corps LLCCarl Kwartz2015The Little PrinceThe King (voice)Winner—Behind the Voice Actor Awards for Best Vocal Ensemble in a TV Special/Direct-to-DVD Title or Short A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.2016AffectionsShort film (final acting role)
Television Year Film Role Notes1968The DoctorsDelivery BoyUncredited; Episodes: "1379", "1394"1969Room 222Jerry ShafferEpisode: "Clothes Make the Boy"1969The Governor & J.J.Marvin HarrisEpisode: "Profile in Discourage"1969Mr. Deeds Goes to TownJeffEpisode: "The Education of Longfellow Deeds"1976Bernice Bobs Her HairWarrenTelevision film1980Brave New WorldBernard MarxTelevision film1982InsightTeddyEpisode: "Teddy"1982–1983Faerie Tale TheatreThe Page, The MusicmasterEpisodes: "The Nightingale", "Rumpelstiltskin"1985Tales of the UnexpectedNewtEpisode: "Nothin' Short of Highway Robbery"1985Tales from the DarksideAbe NorthEpisode: "Snip, Snip"1987Bates MotelAlex WestNBC television film1987The HitchhikerWaxEpisode: "Made for Each Other"1987Sledge Hammer!Zeff CampbellEpisode: "Last of the Red Hot Vampires"1988The Twilight ZoneWilly GardnerEpisode: "The Trunk"1988PoisonDerek1 episode1989Midnight CallerGaddisEpisode: "No Exit"1992Batman: The Animated SeriesJosiah Wormwood (voice)Episode: "The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy"1992BobMalcolm TibbetsEpisode: "The Lost Episode"1992Dream OnCreepy GuyEpisode: "No Deposit, No Return"1992Carol Leifer: Gaudy, Bawdy and BlueHimselfTelevision special1993And the Band Played OnAntique Shop OwnerTelevision film1993Jack's PlaceJules PhilpottEpisode: "An Affair to Vaguely Remember"1995The Mask: Animated SeriesFritz Drizzle/Tempest (voice)2 episodes1995Crazy for a KissDr. WebbBBC television film1996Superman: The Animated SeriesWinslow Schott/Toyman (voice)Episode: "Fun and Games"1997GunLazy Eye PeteEpisode: "Ricochet"1997JittersMichaelTelevision movie1997AFI's 100 Years, 100 Laughs: America's Funniest MoviesHimselfTV special1998The Sylvester & Tweety MysteriesFlint Northwood (voice)Episode: "The Stilted Perch"1998Superman: The Animated SeriesWinslow Schott/Toyman (voice)Episode: "Obsession"2000The Roseanne ShowHimselfTV talk show2003Static ShockToyman (voice)Episode: "Toys in the Hood"2006Justice League UnlimitedEpisode: "Alive!"Arrested DevelopmentHimselfEpisode: "Fakin' It"2007Ugly BettyPriestEpisode: "A Nice Day for a Posh Wedding"2010Funny or Die PresentsRobert RubbieEpisode: "Magical Balloon"2010Criminal MindsRoger RoycewoodEpisode: "Mosley Lane"2012EagleheartGleekoEpisode: "Exit Wound the Gift Shop"
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