Hurd Hatfield

Biography

William Rukard Hurd Hatfield was an American actor renowned for his portrayals of charming yet self-absorbed young men, particularly as Dorian Gray in the film adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Born in New York City, Hurd was the son of William Henry Hatfield, a deputy attorney general for New York who passed away in 1954, and Adele (née McGuire). He pursued his education at Columbia University before relocating to London to study drama, where he began his acting career on stage.

Hatfield made his film debut in Dragon Seed, alongside notable stars like Katharine Hepburn and Aline MacMahon, where they played Chinese peasants. His breakthrough came with The Picture of Dorian Gray, which established him as a leading man. Despite receiving accolades for his striking looks and performance, Hatfield expressed mixed feelings about the role, stating, “It made me unpopular in Hollywood... the themes were too avant-garde for the time.” This sentiment reflected his struggles with typecasting and acceptance within the industry.

He followed with films such as The Diary of a Chambermaid and The Unsuspected, but faced a setback with the unsuccessful Joan of Arc. As his cinematic career waned in the 1950s, he returned to theater, later appearing in films like King of Kings and The Boston Strangler. Hatfield also made several television appearances, earning an Emmy nomination for The Invincible Mr. Disraeli. He passed away at the age of 81 from a heart attack after a Christmas dinner.