John Hurt
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Sir John Vincent Hurt (January 22, 1940 – January 25, 2017) was an English actor whose career spanned over five decades. He came to prominence for his role as Richard Rich in the film A Man for All Seasons (1966) and gained BAFTA Award nominations for his portrayals of Timothy Evans in 10 Rillington Place (1971) and Quentin Crisp in television film The Naked Civil Servant (1975) – winning his first BAFTA for the latter. He played Caligula in the BBC TV series I, Claudius (1976). Hurt's performance in the prison drama Midnight Express (1978) brought him international renown and earned Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards, along with an Academy Award nomination. His BAFTA-nominated portrayal of astronaut Kane, in the science-fiction horror film Alien (1979), notably included a scene where an alien creature burst out of his chest, named by several publications as one of the most memorable moments in cinema history. Hurt earned his third competitive BAFTA, along with his second Oscar and Golden Globe nominations, as Joseph Merrick in David Lynch's biopic The Elephant Man (1980). Other significant roles during the 1980s included Bob Champion in biopic Champions (1984), Mr. Braddock in the Stephen Frears drama The Hit (1984), Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) and Stephen Ward in the drama depicting the Profumo affair, Scandal (1989). Hurt was again BAFTA-nominated for his work in Irish drama The Field (1990) and played the primary villain, James Graham, in the epic adventure Rob Roy (1995). His later films include the Harry Potter film series (2001–11), the Hellboy films (2004 and 2008), supernatural thriller The Skeleton Key (2005), western The Proposition (2005), political thriller V for Vendetta (2005), action adventure Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), sci-fi action Outlander (2008) and the Cold War espionage film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011). Hurt reprised his role as Quentin Crisp in An Englishman in New York (2009), which brought his seventh BAFTA nomination. He portrayed the War Doctor in the BBC TV series Doctor Who's 50th anniversary special, "The Day of the Doctor", in 2013. Hurt was regarded as one of Britain's finest actors; director David Lynch described him as "simply the greatest actor in the world". He possessed what was described as the "most distinctive voice in Britain", likened by The Observer to "nicotine sieved through dirty, moonlit gravel". His voice acting career encompassed films such as Watership Down (1978), The Lord of the Rings (1978), The Plague Dogs (1982), The Black Cauldron (1985), Dogville (2003) and Planet Dinosaur (2011) as well as BBC TV series Merlin (2008–2012). In 2012, he was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement BAFTA Award, in recognition of his "outstanding contribution to cinema". He was knighted in 2015 for his services to drama.
Known for
Credits
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
as Mr Ollivander
Alien (1979)
as Kane
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
as Ollivander
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
as Ollivander
V for Vendetta (2006)
as Adam Sutler
Spaceballs (1987)
as John Hurt
Snowpiercer (2013)
as Gilliam
Hercules (2014)
as Cotys
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
as Professor Harold Oxley
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)
as Narrator (voice)
Contact (1997)
as S. R. Hadden
The Skeleton Key (2005)
as Ben Devereaux
The Black Cauldron (1985)
as The Horned King (voice)
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
as Trevor Bruttenholm
Dogville (2003)
as Narrator (voice)
Thumbelina (1994)
as Mr. Mole (voice)
Hellboy (2004)
as Prof. Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
as Control
The Elephant Man (1980)
as John Merrick
Immortals (2011)
as Old Zeus
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
as Winston Smith
A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures (2010)
as Grandpa Sammy (voice)
The Lord of the Rings (1978)
as Aragorn (voice)
A Man for All Seasons (1966)
as Richard Rich
New York, I Love You (2008)
as Bellhop
The Gruffalo (2009)
as Owl (voice)
Heaven's Gate (1980)
as Billy Irvine
The Tigger Movie (2000)
as Narrator (voice)
Midnight Express (1978)
as Max
Melancholia (2011)
as Dexter
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
as Christopher Marlowe
Dead Man (1995)
as John Scholfield
Outlander (2008)
as Rothgar
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor (2013)
as The War Doctor
Watership Down (1978)
as Hazel (voice)
Jackie (2016)
as The Priest
Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)
as Dr. Iannis
The Proposition (2005)
as Jellon Lamb
The Gruffalo's Child (2011)
as The Owl (voice)
Valiant (2005)
as Felix (voice)
The Plague Dogs (1982)
as Snitter (voice)
Manderlay (2005)
as Narrator (voice)
The Oxford Murders (2008)
as Arthur Seldom
Wild Bill (1995)
as Charley Prince
White Mischief (1987)
as Gilbert Colville
Lost Souls (2000)
as Father Lareaux
Night Crossing (1982)
as Peter Strelzyk
Owning Mahowny (2003)
as Victor Foss
Rob Roy (1995)
as John Graham
Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron (2007)
as Professor Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm (voice)
Jayne Mansfield's Car (2013)
as Kingsley Bedford
The Limits of Control (2009)
as Guitar
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot (2013)
as The War Doctor (archive voice)
King Ralph (1991)
as Graves
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1994)
as The Countess
Jake Speed (1986)
as Syd
The Naked Civil Servant (1975)
as Quentin Crisp
Frankenstein Unbound (1990)
as Dr. Joe Buchanan / Narrator (voice)
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas (2007)
as Self
Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie (2010)
as Carnak
Muse of Fire (2013)
as Self
Love and Death on Long Island (1998)
as Giles De'Ath
Scandal (1989)
as Stephen Ward
Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony (2021)
as Self (archive footage)
Thomas & Friends: Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure: The Movie (2015)
as Sailor John (voice)
Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009)
as The Horned King (voice) (archive footage)
Sightseers (2012)
as Jerusalem Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
The Osterman Weekend (1983)
as Lawrence Fassett
Check the Gate: Putting Beckett on Film (2003)
as Self / Self - Krapp ("Krapp's Last Tape")
44 Inch Chest (2009)
as Old Man Peanut
The Beast Within: Making Alien (2003)
as Self
Second Best (1994)
as Uncle Turpin
Live Aid (1985)
as Self
Brighton Rock (2010)
as Phil Corkery
Doctor Who at the Proms (2024)
as The Doctor (War) (archive footage)
Henry Fonda for President (2025)
as Self (archive footage)
Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song (2015)
as The Doctor (War) (picture) (uncredited)
Miranda (2002)
as Christian
The Shout (1978)
as Anthony Fielding
The World of Jim Henson (1994)
as The Storyteller (archive footage)
History of the World: Part I (1981)
as Jesus - The Roman Empire
Thames Film (1986)
as Narrator
Aria (1987)
as The Actor
Hiroshima (2005)
as Narrator (voice)
Shooting Dogs (2006)
as Christopher
Romeo.Juliet (1990)
as La Dame aux Chats / Mercutio (voice)
10 Rillington Place (1971)
as Timothy Evans
Krapp's Last Tape (2000)
as Krapp
Dark at Noon (1992)
as Anthony / Le Marquis
The Hit (1984)
as Braddock
Once Upon a Halloween (2005)
as The Horned King (voice) (archive sound)
Hellboy: The Seeds of Creation (2004)
as Self
Short Order (2005)
as Felix
Champions (1984)
as Bob Champion
Doctor Who: Wish World & The Reality War (2025)
as The Doctor (archive footage) (uncredited)
Recount (2008)
as Warren Christopher
The Wild and the Willing (1962)
as Phil Corbett
The Island (1976)
as Captain Simmonds
The Storyteller: The Three Ravens (1988)
as The Storyteller
All the Little Animals (1999)
as Mr. Summers
My Name Is Lenny (2017)
as Leslie Salmon
An Englishman in New York (2009)
as Quentin Crisp
Great Moments in Aviation (1994)
as Rex Goodyear
Damascus Cover (2017)
as Miki
Crime and Punishment (2002)
as Porfiry, chief investigator
Verity Lambert: Drama Queen (2008)
Actor
Mr. Forbush and the Penguins (1971)
as Richard Forbush
Doctor Who: The Night of the Doctor (2013)
as The War Doctor
Tabloid (2001)
as Vince
Bait (2002)
as Jack Blake
The Bengali Night (1988)
as Lucien Metz
V for Vendetta: Unmasked (2006)
as Adam Sutler
I Dreamt I Woke Up (1991)
as Boorman's Alter Ego
Wimbledon The Official Film 2014 (2014)
as Narrator
Richard Attenborough: A Life in Film (2014)
as Self
Picture Windows: Two Nudes Bathing (1995)
as Marquis de Prey
Lecture 21 (2008)
as Mondrian Kilroy
Hello: A Portrait Of Leslie Phillips (2013)
as Self / Stephen Ward
Poison Candy (1989)
as Robert Burger
Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs (1974)
as Malcolm Scrawdyke
The Journey (2017)
as Harry Patterson
On Jupiter (1995)
as Narrator (voice)
The Confession (2011)
as Priest
Jonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only: David Lynch (1990)
as Self
In Love with Alma Cogan (2011)
as MC
I, Claudius: A Television Epic (2002)
as Self
More Than Honey (2012)
as Narrator (english voice)
The Day of the Doctor: Cinema Intro (2013)
as The War Doctor
Monolith (1993)
as Villano
Whistle and I'll Come to You (2010)
as James Parkin
The Storyteller: The Luck Child (1988)
as The Storyteller
Planet Dinosaur: Ultimate Killers (2012)
as Narrator (voice)
Saigon Baby (1995)
as Jack Lee
Doctor Who Live: The Afterparty (2013)
as Self
The Snipist (2012)
as The Ministry
The Field (1990)
as Bird' O'Donnell
Pride (2004)
as Harry (voice)
Vincent (1987)
as Vincent Van Gogh (voice)
Love at First Sight (2010)
as Arthur
The Alien Saga (2002)
as Narrator (voice)
Boxes (2007)
as Fanny's father
Stream Line (1976)
as Chandler
The Storyteller: The True Bride (1988)
as The Storyteller
The Pied Piper (1972)
as Franz
Ballybrando (2009)
as Self
The Storyteller: Hans My Hedgehog (1988)
as The Storyteller
Success Is the Best Revenge (1984)
as Dino Montecurva
The Sailor from Gibraltar (1967)
as John
A Dinner of Herbs (1988)
as Verse Reader
This Is My Street (1964)
as Charlie
Alpha to Omega: Exposing 'The Osterman Weekend' (2004)
as Self
The Hunting of the Snark (1987)
as The Narrator
The Storyteller: A Story Short (1988)
as The Storyteller
Making History: Mel Brooks on Creating the World (2009)
as Self (archive footage)
The Terrible Elephant Man Revealed (2001)
as Self
Partners (1982)
as Kerwin
Sinful Davey (1969)
as Davey Haggart
If... Dog... Rabbit (1999)
as Sean Cooper
New Blood (1999)
as Alan White
Tender Loving Care (1996)
as Dr. Turner
Remembrance (2009)
as Bellhop
Brute (1997)
as Babits
Lou (2010)
as Doyle
David Macaulay: Pyramid (1989)
as Khufu / Second French Explorer (voice)
Benjamin Britten: Peace and Conflict (2013)
as Narrator (voice)
Paul McCartney - Take It Away (1982)
as Self
The Commissioner (1998)
as James morton
23 Degrees, 5 Minutes (2011)
as Professor Orit
The Storyteller: Fearnot (1988)
as The Storyteller
You're Dead... (1999)
as Maitland
Paul McCartney: From Rio to Liverpool (1990)
as Narrator (voice)
Shaolin: Wheel of Life (2001)
as Narrator (voice)
From the Hip (1987)
as Douglas Benoit
That Good Night (2017)
as Ralph
Lapse of Memory (1991)
as Conrad Farmer
Whaledreamers (2006)
as Self
The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima (1985)
as Narrator (voice)
The Final Reel (2016)
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Spectre (1977)
as Mitri Cyon
The Pity of War: The Loves and Lives of the War Poets (2016)
as Siegfried Sassoon
The Ghoul (1975)
as Tom Rawlings
On Borrowed Time (2011)
as Self
The Peddler (1976)
as Alec Cassell
Ayamé (2018)
as Narrator (voice)
The Disappearance (1977)
as Atkinson
Dmitri Shostakovich: A Man of Many Faces (2015)
as Narator
Rocinante (1986)
as Bill
Green Julia (1971)
as Bob
Iceberg (1987)
as Narrator (voice)
King Lear (1983)
as The Fool
Before Winter Comes (1969)
as Lieutenant Pilkington
Monolith (1987)
as Narrator (voice)
Windprints (1990)
as Charles Rutherford
East of Elephant Rock (1977)
as Nash
Swan Lake 3D - Live from the Mariinsky Theatre (2013)
as The Voice of the Winter Palace / Self
An Evening with Quentin Crisp (1980)
as Host
The Storyteller: Sapsorrow (1988)
as The Storyteller
The Journey – Stories from the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (2011)
as Narrator
Who Bombed Birmingham? (1990)
as Chris Mullin
The Hidden Wars of Desert Storm (2001)
as Narrator (voice)
Shadowing the Third Man (2004)
as Narrator (voice)
Centenary: The BP Story (2009)
as Narrator (voice)
The Climb (1998)
as Chuck Langer
Rabbit Ears - Aladdin and the Magic Lamp (1994)
as Narrator (voice)
Night Train (1998)
as Michael Poole
ChickLit (2016)
as Francis Bonar
Behind Jim Jarmusch (2010)
as Self
The Playboy of the Western World (1974)
as Christopher Mahon (Christy Mahon)
Red Fox (1991)
as Archie Carpenter
After Darkness (1985)
as Peter Hunningford
The Alchemist's Letter (2015)
as The Alchemist (voice)
Meeting Che Guevara & the Man from Maybury Hill (2003)
as Man from Maybury Hill
Deadline (1988)
as Granville Jones
Journey to Knock (1991)
as Alfred
The Plot Against Harold Wilson (2006)
as Narrator (voice)
Sunset People (1984)
as Self
A.K.A Nadia (2015)
as 347
Three Dangerous Ladies (1977)
as Lt. George Simmonds
Resident Alien (1990)
as Self - Actor
Interview with John Hurt (2007)
as Self
The Twilight Hour: Visions of Ireland's Haunted Past (2002)
as Self
In Search of Gregory (1969)
as Daniel
Back to Utopia (2016)
as Professor Peter Panludic (voice)
Sailcloth (2011)
as Man
Break (2015)
as Jack
Frightmares (1987)
Actor
Six Characters in Search of An Author (1992)
as The Father