William Hutt

For William...

WEEP NOT FOR ME


Do not weep for me when I no longer dwell among the wonders of the earth; for my larger self is free, and my soul rejoices on the other side of pain...on the other side of darkness.

Do not weep for me, for I am a ray of sunshine that touches your skin, a tropical breeze upon your face, the hush of joy within your heart and the innocence of babes in mothers arms.

I am the hope in a darkened night. And, in your hour of need, I will be there to comfort you. I will share your tears, your joys, your fears, your disappointments and your triumphs.

Do not weep for me, for I am cradled
in the arms of God. I walk with the angels, and hear the music beyond the stars.

Do not weep for me, for I am within you;
I am peace, love, I am a soft wind that caresses the flowers. I am the calm that follows a raging storm. I am an autumns leaf that floats among the garden of God, and I am pure white snow that softly falls upon your hand.

Do not weep for me, for I shall never die, as long as you remember me...
with a smile and a sigh.


© Joe Fazio
~
[email protected] /Joe Fazio,
Beverly Hills, California

William has left behind a wonderful legacy for our beautiful city of Stratford. He will be remembered by everyone, not only for his theatrical talent but for what he meant to us to have him as a valued member of our community. A bright star ever to shine!!

William Hutt was an inspiration to us all - both on and off stage - and will be fondly remembered. A final farewell Mr. Hutt.

Always a joy to watch. A shining star to be remembered in the dimness left behind.

He did everything we always think we can't do. A Canadian actor who made his living acting primarily in Canada. A pacifist who risked the battlefield to save lives. An openly gay man when it was both scandalous and dangerous to be so. A great actor and a courageous person. We are better for having known of him.

William Hutt was a true acting inspiration

May your hearts soon be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life well-lived.

"As many farewells as be stars in heaven,
With distinct breath and consign’d kisses to them,"

I had a wonderful experience with this legend. I only met him once, but I got to sit down with him for a little over an hour in December of 2005 and talk about acting. He was 85 at the time. As a tribute to the memory of this great man, I wanted to post some of the things he said to me about acting and his life:

"You’re not going to be a different person because you can’t. People think they are, and if they actually think they are, they’re not acting, they’re performing. There are three levels of acting: there’s the performer, the actor, and the be-er. The performer is, well, like a stand-up comedian. He’s a performer. An actor is somebody who is all technique. The great stage actors of before your time, like Olivier, Richardson, Gielgud, Alec Guinness, particularly Larry Olivier was a brilliant, brilliant technician. He didn’t have one ounce of emotion. He made you think he did, but his technique, his technique was so good. He had brilliant technique. And that’s not taking anything away from the man, he was a great, great technical artist. A be-er is somebody who exists when he acts. He is. He is himself in the circumstances he’s found himself surrounded."

"It is difficult, acting. My problem very often when talking to people like yourself, and I mean this in the nicest and kindest kind of ways, is I tend to forget how young you are, and how old I am. I haven’t felt my age in a long, long time. I’ve been nineteen ever since I’ve turned twenty. I still think that way. But obviously it’s much easier for me to understand the circumstances [in acting] because I’ve lived through a lot of circumstances in my life. So I have a lot of circumstances to call on, experiences to call on that I can bring to bear. You haven’t lived long enough to do that, of course you haven’t. What is important at your age to do what you can do. Explore who you are at the moment. Get to know yourself at the age of twenty one, then next year get to know yourself at the age of twenty two, and every year... I’ve had a good run. I’ve had a very good run. I consider myself a very fortunate man."

- William Hutt

Good night sweet prince:
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!

Alas, poor William! I knew him: a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! Where be your gibes now? your gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table on a roar?
Adapted from Hamlet