John Hurt obit

Actor John Hurt of 'Elephant Man,' 'Midnight Express' and 'Alien' dies at 77

He was not on the list.

Actor John Hurt, the gravelly voiced British actor who garnered Oscar nominations for his roles in "Midnight Express" and "The Elephant Man," has died at the age of 77, publicist Charles McDonald said Friday.


McDonald offered no other details of Hurt's passing.


Known for playing tormented characters, Hurt memorably died on screen in the 1979 space adventure "Alien" when a creature exploded from his chest during lunch in the spacecraft mess hall. CNN's "The Screening Room" in 2007 ranked it among its Top 10 favorite movie deaths.


Hurt always stayed busy, working more than six decades in television, movies and voice work in England and the United States. He recently played a priest who counsels Jacqueline Kennedy in last year's biopic "Jackie," according to IMDb.


"I'm very much of the opinion that to work is better than not to work," he said, according to his IMDb bio. "There are others who'd say, 'No, wait around for the right thing' - and they will finish up a purer animal than me. ... Of course, I don't do everything by any means: I do turn lots of stuff down, because it's absolute crap. But I usually find something interesting enough to do."


Accolades poured in on social media.


Actor Kiefer Sutherland tweeted: "My deepest sympathies to John Hurt's family, friends and fans. He was a dear friend."


My deepest sympathies to John Hurt's family, friends and fans. He was a dear friend.

— Kiefer Sutherland (@RealKiefer) January 28, 2017


Actor Elijah Wood tweeted: "Very sad to hear of John Hurt's passing. It was such an honor to have watched you work, sir."


Very sad to hear of John Hurt's passing. It was such an honor to have watched you work, sir.

— Elijah Wood (@elijahwood) January 28, 2017


Hurt was born in Shirebrook, a coal mining village in Derbyshire, England, the son of an an engineer and one-time actress and an Anglican clergyman and mathematician, IMDb said.


He trained to become a painter but, after being accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, worked on the stage in the early 1960s.


His first film role came in the "angry young man" drama "Young and Willing" in 1962 and his first major role in "A Man for All Seasons" in 1966, IMDb said.


His big break came when he portrayed the gay writer and raconteur Quentin Crisp in the mid-1970s television play "The Naked Civil Servant," which was adapted from Crisp's autobiography, IMDb said.


The good roles kept coming. He went on to play a Turkish prison inmate in "Midnight Express" in 1978 and the gentle, disfigured John Merrick in "The Elephant Man" in 1980. Those roles earned him Oscar nominations and he won a Golden Globe for best supporting actor in "Midnight Express."


He usually played characters with problems, and IMDb said he died 47 times on screen. But Hurt also also had comic roles, such as Jesus in Mel Brooks' "History of the World: Part I" in 1981, which he took on because he'd just done two serious roles and wanted to have some fun, IMDb said.


Hurt appeared in the first two Harry Potter movies, playing wand maker Garrick Ollivander, and did voice work and narration in movies like "Watership Down," "The Plague Dogs," and "Thumbelina."


Some of his top television roles included Caligula in "I, Claudius" in 1976, General Woundwort in "Watership Down" and the War Doctor in "Doctor Who."


He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to Drama.


Hurt was married four times and was married to Anwen Rees-Myers when he died. Hurt was an alcoholic for years but said he quit drinking in 2005, according to IMDb.


A grand scheme never guided his life, he said.



"I've just been whipped along by the waves I'm sitting in," he said, according to IMDb. "I don't make plans at all. Plans are what make God laugh. You can make plans, you can make so many plans, but they never go right, do they?"


Filmography:


Films

Year Title Role Director Notes

1962 The Wild and the Willing Phil Corbett Ralph Thomas

1963 The Contact Max Philip Wrestler Short film

1964 This Is My Street Charlie Sidney Hayers

1966 A Man for All Seasons Richard Rich Fred Zinnemann

1967 The Sailor from Gibraltar John Tony Richardson

1969 Sinful Davey Davey Haggart John Huston

Before Winter Comes Lieutenant Pilkington J. Lee Thompson

In Search of Gregory Daniel Peter Wood

1971 10 Rillington Place Timothy John Evans Richard Fleischer Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Mr. Forbush and the Penguins Richard Forbush Roy Boulting, Arne Sucksdorff, & Alfred Viola

1972 The Pied Piper Franz Jacques Demy

1974 Little Malcolm Malcolm Scrawdyke Stuart Cooper

1975 The Ghoul Tom Rawlings Freddie Francis

La Linea del fiume Chandler Aldo Scavarda

1977 The Disappearance Atkinson Stuart Cooper

Three Dangerous Ladies Lt. Simmonds Robert Fuest Segment: "The Island"

Paperback David Bailey

East of Elephant Rock Nash Don Boyd

1978 Midnight Express Max Alan Parker Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture

BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Nominated – Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor

The Shout Anthony Fielding Jerzy Skolimowski

Watership Down Hazel Martin Rosen Voice

The Lord of the Rings Aragorn Ralph Bakshi Voice

1979 Alien Kane Ridley Scott Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role

1980 The Elephant Man John Merrick David Lynch BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role

Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actor

Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama

Heaven's Gate William C. Irvine Michael Cimino

1981 History of the World, Part I Jesus Christ Mel Brooks

Night Crossing Peter Strelzyk Delbert Mann

1982 Partners Kerwin James Burrows

The Plague Dogs Snitter Martin Rosen Voice

1983 The Osterman Weekend Lawrence Fassett Sam Peckinpah

1984 Champions Bob Champion John Irvin Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor

Success Is the Best Revenge Dino Montecurva Jerzy Skolimowski

The Hit Mitchell Braddock Stephen Frears Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor

Nineteen Eighty-Four Winston Smith Michael Radford Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor

Fantasporto for Best Actor (tied with Eddy Mitchell)

Valladolid International Film Festival for Best Actor (tied with Richard Burton)

1985 After Darkness Peter Hunningford Dominique Othenin-Girard & Sergio Guerraz

The Black Cauldron The Horned King Ted Berman & Richard Rich (director) Voice

1986 Jake Speed Sid Andrew Lane

1987 The Hunting of the Snark Narrator Mike Batt Voice

Rocinante Bill Ann Guedes, Eduardo Guedes

White Mischief Gilbert Colvile Michael Radford

From the Hip Douglas Benoit Bob Clark

Aria The Actor Bill Bryden Segment: "Pagliacci"

Spaceballs Kane Mel Brooks Cameo

Vincent Narrator[3] Paul Cox Voice

1988 The Bengali Night Lucien Metz Nicolas Klotz

1989 Scandal Stephen Ward Michael Caton-Jones

Little Sweetheart Robert Burger Anthony Simmons

1990 Windprints Charles Rutherford David Wicht

Romeo-Juliet La Dame aux Chats

Mercutio Armondo Linus Acosta

The Field Bird O'Donnell Jim Sheridan Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Frankenstein Unbound Dr. Joe Buchanan

Narrator Roger Corman

1991 King Ralph Lord Percival Graves David S. Ward

I Dreamt I Woke Up John Boorman's Alter Ego John Boorman

1992 Lapse of Memory Conrad Farmer Patrick Dewolf

1993 L'Oeil qui ment Anthony / Le Marquis Raúl Ruiz

Kölcsönkapott idő Sean István Poór

Monolith Villano John Eyres

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues The Countess Gus Van Sant

1994 Rabbit Ears: Aladdin and the Magic Lamp Storyteller C.W. Rogers Voice

Direct-to-video

Thumbelina Mr. Mole Don Bluth & Gary Goldman Voice

Great Moments in Aviation Rex Goodyear Beeban Kidron

Second Best Uncle Turpin Chris Menges

1995 Rob Roy John Graham, Marquis of Montrose[3] Michael Caton-Jones

Dead Man John Scholfield Jim Jarmusch

Wild Bill Charley Prince Walter Hill

Two Nudes Bathing Marquis de Prey John Boorman Short film

1997 Love and Death on Long Island Giles De'Ath[3] Richard Kwietniowski FIPRESCI Prize – Special Mention of Chicago International Film Festival (shared with: Richard Kwietniowski)

Nominated – British Independent Film Award for Best Performance by a British Actor in an Independent Film

Contact S.R. Hadden Robert Zemeckis

The Climb Chuck Langer Bob Swaim

Bandyta Babits Maciej Dejczer

Tender Loving Care Dr. Turner David Wheeler Direct-to-video

1998 The Commissioner James Morton George Sluizer

Night Train Michael Poole John Lynch

All the Little Animals Mr. Summers Jeremy Thomas

1999 A Monkey's Tale Sebastian Jean-François Laguionie English dub

If... Dog... Rabbit... Sean Cooper Matthew Modine

You're Dead... Maitland Andy Hurst

2000 The Tigger Movie Mr. Narrator Jun Falkenstein Voice

New Blood Alan White Michael Hurst

Lost Souls Father Lareaux Janusz Kamiński

2001 Tabloid Vince David Blair

Captain Corelli's Mandolin Dr. Iannis John Madden

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Garrick Ollivander Chris Columbus

2002 Miranda Christian Marc Munden

Crime and Punishment Porfiry Menahem Golan

2003 Owning Mahowny Victor Foss Richard Kwietniowski

Meeting Che Guevara & the Man from Maybury Hill Man from Maybury Hill Anthony Byrne Short film

Dogville Narrator Lars von Trier Voice

2004 Hellboy Professor Trevor "Broom" Bruttenholm Guillermo del Toro

Pride Harry John Downer Voice

2005 Short Order Felix Anthony Byrne

Valiant Felix Gary Chapman Voice

Manderlay Narrator Lars von Trier Voice

The Skeleton Key Ben Devereaux Iain Softley

Shooting Dogs Christopher Michael Caton-Jones

The Proposition Jellon Lamb John Hillcoat Nominated – Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role

V for Vendetta Adam Sutler James McTeigue

2006 Perfume: The Story of a Murderer Narrator Tom Tykwer Voice

2007 Boxes Le père de Fanny Jane Birkin

Hellboy: Blood and Iron Professor Trevor "Broom" Bruttenholm Victor Cook & Tad Stones Voice

Direct-to-DVD

2008 The Oxford Murders Arthur Seldom Álex de la Iglesia

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Dr. Harold Oxley[3] Steven Spielberg

Hellboy II: The Golden Army Professor Trevor "Broom" Bruttenholm[3] Guillermo del Toro Cameo

Outlander Hrothgar Howard McCain

Lecture 21 Mondrian Kilroy Alessandro Baricco

New York, I Love You Bellhop Shekhar Kapur Segment "Shekhar Kapur"

2009 An Englishman in New York Quentin Crisp Richard Laxton

The Limits of Control Guitar Jim Jarmusch

44 Inch Chest Old Man Peanut Malcolm Venville Nominated – London Film Critics' Circle Award for Supporting Actor of the Year

2010 Lou Doyle Belinda Chayko

A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures Grandpa Sammy Ben Stassen Voice

Brighton Rock Phil Corkery Rowan Joffé

Ultramarines: The Movie Carnak Martyn Pick Voice

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 Garrick Ollivander[3] David Yates

2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2

Regret Not Speaking Richard Kwietniowski

Melancholia Dexter Lars von Trier

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Control Tomas Alfredson

Immortals Old Man / Narrator Tarsem Singh

2012 Jayne Mansfield's Car Kingsley Bedford Billy Bob Thornton

In Love with Alma Cogan Master of Ceremonies Tony Britten

Sightseers Narrator – Blake's "Jerusalem" Ben Wheatley Uncredited voice

2013 Charlie Countryman Narrator Fredrik Bond Voice

Only Lovers Left Alive Christopher Marlowe Jim Jarmusch

Swan Lake 3D – Live from the Mariinsky Theatre Winter Palace / Himself Ross MacGibbon Voice

Snowpiercer Gilliam Bong Joon-ho

More Than Honey Narrator Markus Imhoof Voice

Documentary

Benjamin Britten – Peace and Conflict Narrator Tony Britten

2014 Hercules Cotys Brett Ratner

2015 A.K.A Nadia 347 Tova Ascher

The Absinthe Drinkers Antonio Argenti John Jopson

Break Jack Nicholas Moss Short film

Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure Sailor John David Stoten Voice

2016 ChickLit Francis Bonar Tony Britten

The Journey Harry Patterson Nick Hamm

Jackie The Priest Pablo Larraín

Back to Utopia Peter Panludic Fabio Wuytack Voice; posthumous international release

2017 My Name Is Lenny Leslie Salmon Ron Scalpello Posthumous release

That Good Night Ralph Eric Styles Posthumous release

2018 Damascus Cover Miki Daniel Zelik Berk Posthumous release





Television

Year Title Role Notes

1961 Drama 61–67 Private Briggs Episode: "Drama '61: Local Incident"

1962 Z-Cars James Hogan Episode: "Assault"

1963 First Night Garry Episode: "Menace"

1964 Armchair Theatre Unknown Episode: "A Jug of Bread"

Thursday Theatre Orpheus Episode: "Point of Departure"

Gideon's Way Freddy Tinsdale Episode: "The Tin God"

1964–65 ITV Play of the Week Various characters 3 episodes

1973 Wessex Tales Joshua Harlborough Episode: "A Tragedy of Two Ambitions"

1974 The Playboy of the Western World Christopher "Christy" Mahon Television film

1975 The Naked Civil Servant Quentin Crisp Television film

British Academy Television Award for Best Actor

1976 Shades of Greene Fred Episode: "A Drive in the Country"

Play for Today Alec Cassell Episode: "The Peddler"

The Sweeney Tony Grey Episode: "Tomorrow Man"

I, Claudius Caligula 5 episodes

1977 Spectre Mitri Cyon Television film

1979 Crime and Punishment Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov 3 episodes

1983 King Lear The Fool Television film

1988 Deadline Granville Jones Television film

1987–88 The Storyteller The Storyteller 9 episodes

1990 The Investigation: Inside a Terrorist Bombing Chris Mullin Television film

1991 Journey to Knock Alfred Television film

Red Fox Archie Carpenter 2 episodes

1992 Six Characters in Search of an Author The Father Television film

1993 Great Moments in Aviation Rex Goodyear Television film

1994 Picture Windows Le Compte Episode: "Two Nudes Bathing"

1995 Prisoners in Time Eric Lomax Episode: "Everyman"

Screen Two Jack Lee Episode: "Saigon Baby"

1999–2000 Watership Down General Woundwort Voice

7 episodes

2001 Beckett on Film – Krapp's Last Tape Krapp Television film

2002 Bait Jack Blake Television film

2004 The Alan Clark Diaries Alan Clark 6 episodes

Pride Harry Voice

Television film

2005 Hiroshima Narrator Voice

Documentary

2007 Masters of Science Fiction Samswope Episode: "The Discarded"

2008 Recount Warren Christopher Television film

2008–2012 Merlin The Great Dragon Voice

64 episodes

2009 The Gruffalo The Owl Voice

Television film

An Englishman in New York Quentin Crisp Television film

Berlin International Film Festival – Teddy Award

Nominated – British Academy Television Award for Best Actor

2010 Whistle and I'll Come to You James Parkin Television film

Human Planet Narrator Voice

Documentary

2011 Harry's Arctic Heroes Narrator Voice

Documentary

Planet Dinosaur Narrator Voice

Documentary

The Gruffalo's Child[8] The Owl Voice

Television film

2012 Labyrinth Audric Baillard 2 episodes

The Hollow Crown: Henry V The Chorus Television film

Playhouse Presents The Ministry Voice

Episode: "The Snipist"

2013 Doctor Who War Doctor 3 episodes

2014 The Strain Professor Abraham Setrakian Unaired pilot

2015 The Last Panthers Tom Kendle 6 episodes

2016 The Pity of War: The Loves and Lives of the War Poets Siegfried Sassoon Television film