John Hurt

Not to be confused with John Heard (actor) or John Hirt. For other uses, see John Hurt (disambiguation).

Sir
John Hurt
CBE
Hurt in 2009
Born
John Vincent Hurt

(1940-01-22)22 January 1940
Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England
Died25 January 2017(2017-01-25) (aged 77)
Cromer, Norfolk, England
Education
OccupationActor
Years active1961–2017
WorksList of performances
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1962; div. 1964)​
  • Donna Peacock
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1984; div. 1990)​
  • Joan Dalton
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1990; div. 1996)​
  • Anwen Rees-Myers
    ​
    (m. 2005)​
Partners
  • Marie-Lise Volpeliere-Pierrot (1967–1983; her death)
  • Sarah Owens (1995–2002)
Children2

Sir John Vincent Hurt CBE (22 January 1940 – 25 January 2017) was an English actor whose career spanned over five decades. He was regarded as one of Britain's finest actors. Director David Lynch described him as "simply the greatest actor in the world".[1][2] He possessed what was described as the "most distinctive voice in Britain".[3][4] He received numerous awards including the BAFTA Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award in 2012[5] and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015 for his services to drama.

A graduate of RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art), he came to prominence playing Richard Rich in the film A Man for All Seasons (1966) and won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for The Naked Civil Servant (1975). He played Caligula in the BBC TV series I, Claudius (1976). Hurt earned Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor for Midnight Express (1978), and Best Actor for The Elephant Man (1980). Other films include Alien (1979), Heaven's Gate (1980), Champions (1984), Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984), The Hit (1984), Scandal (1989), The Field (1990), Rob Roy (1995), and Contact (1997).[6]

Hurt gained further prominence portraying Garrick Ollivander in the Harry Potter film series (2001–11), as well as appearing in the 2004 and 2008 Hellboy films, V for Vendetta (2005), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), Outlander (2008), and Snowpiercer (2013). He also acted in the acclaimed films Melancholia (2011), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) and Jackie (2016).

Hurt reprised his role as Quentin Crisp in An Englishman in New York (2009), which brought his seventh BAFTA nomination. He portrayed an incarnation of the Doctor known as the War Doctor in Doctor Who.[7][8] He voiced roles in Watership Down (1978), The Lord of the Rings (1978), The Plague Dogs (1982), The Black Cauldron (1985), Dogville (2003), Valiant (2005) and BBC's Merlin (2008–2012), as well as The Gruffalo's Child (2011), and Sailor John in Thomas & Friends: Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure (2015).

  1. ^ Sephton, Connor (29 January 2017). "Acclaimed British actor Sir John Hurt dies from cancer aged 77". Sky News. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  2. ^ Kreps, Daniel (27 January 2017). "John Hurt, Oscar-Nominated 'Elephant Man' Actor, Dead at 77". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  3. ^ Ellen, Barbara (13 March 2006). "Barbara Ellen meets John Hurt". The Observer. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  4. ^ "John Hurt, 'the most distinctive voice in Britain', falls silent". The Australian. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  5. ^ "John Hurt 'thrilled' with Bafta lifetime achievement honour". BBC News. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference memorable was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Jones, Paul. "Doctor Who 50th anniversary: John Hurt to play "part of the Doctor"". Radio Times. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
  8. ^ Tobin, Christian (8 May 2013). "John Hurt teases 'Doctor Who' 50th anniversary special role". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 May 2013.