Why This Matters
CBS News has begun its annual ‘Notable Deaths in 2026’ gallery, highlighting figures such as stage and screen actress Mary Beth Hurt and musician Darrell “Dash” Crofts. These early entries underscore how a generation of performers who shaped modern film, theater, and pop music is passing.
Hurt, a three-time Tony Award nominee with a long career in New York theater and acclaimed film roles, and Crofts, best known as half of soft rock duo Seals & Crofts, represent different corners of American culture that were widely shared by audiences now in midlife and older.
Annual memorial lists do more than mark celebrity deaths; they offer a snapshot of what a society has valued. For many readers, these names recall specific eras, from 1970s soft rock radio to New York’s nonprofit theater boom, and invite a reassessment of their work.
Key Facts and Quotes
According to CBS News, Mary Beth Hurt was born September 26, 1946, in Iowa and died March 28, 2026. Under her birth name, Mary Beth Supinger, she studied at New York University’s graduate theater program and appeared in regional theaters before moving to London and then to the New York stage.
Hurt earned three Tony Award nominations for roles in “Trelawny of the Wells,” “Crimes of the Heart,” and “Benefactors.” She made her Broadway debut in 1974 in “Love for Love,” sharing the stage with Glenn Close, who was also making her Broadway debut, and worked frequently at Joseph Papp’s Public Theater.
On screen, Hurt’s feature debut came in Woody Allen’s drama “Interiors,” followed by roles in “The World According to Garp, Slaves of New York,” “The Age of Innocence,” “Six Degrees of Separation,” and “Autumn in New York.” She also voiced Jean Seberg, her childhood babysitter, in the 1995 film ‘From the Journals of Jean Seberg.’
Hurt married actor William Hurt, whom she met in regional theater, and later married writer-director Paul Schrader, appearing in his films “Affliction” and “Light Sleeper.” Reflecting on her craft in a 2010 Theater Life interview, she said she was “never extremely comfortable playing the lead in a play” and gravitated toward complex supporting roles.
CBS News also notes the March 25, 2026, death of Darrell “Dash” Crofts, born August 14, 1938. A native of West Texas, Crofts was a high school friend of musician Jim Seals; the pair played in various groups before forming the duo Seals & Crofts, known for 1970s hits like ‘Summer Breeze.’
What It Means for You
For audiences who grew up with Hurt’s films or with Seals & Crofts on the radio, these deaths may prompt a return to the books, recordings, and performances that defined earlier chapters of their lives. Streaming platforms and revived stage productions keep much of this work accessible.
The CBS News gallery is expected to expand throughout the year, adding figures from politics, sports, science, and culture. Following these updates can offer a structured way to remember influential people, while also highlighting how quickly cultural touchstones can shift from present tense to history.
What recent loss of a public figure has most prompted you to revisit a film, album, or performance from your own past?
Sources
Sources: CBS News photo gallery “Notable Deaths in 2026,” published April 6, 2026; biographical information and quotes on Mary Beth Hurt and Darrell “Dash” Crofts attributed in the gallery to reporting by CBS News senior producer David Morgan and The Associated Press.
