John Hurt
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1940-01-22
Day of Death
2017-01-25 (77 years old)
Place of Birth
Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, UK
John Hurt
Biography
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
Acting
(2025)
Doctor Who: Wish World & The Reality War
as The Doctor (archive footage) (uncredited)
(2024)
Doctor Who at the Proms
as The Doctor (War) (archive footage)
(2021)
Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony
as Self (archive footage)
(2018)
Ayamé
as Narrator (voice)
(2017)
My Name Is Lenny
as Leslie Salmon
(2017)
The Journey
as Harry Patterson
(2017)
Damascus Cover
as Miki
(2017)
That Good Night
as Ralph
(2016)
Jackie
as The Priest
(2016)
ChickLit
as Francis Bonar
(2016)
The Pity of War: The Loves and Lives of the War Poets
as Siegfried Sassoon
(2016)
Back to Utopia
as Professor Peter Panludic (voice)
(2016)
The Final Reel
as Self - Narrator (voice)
(2015)
Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song
as The Doctor (War) (picture) (uncredited)
(2015)
A.K.A Nadia
as 347
(2015)
Break
as Jack
(2015)
Thomas & Friends: Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure: The Movie
as Sailor John (voice)
(2015)
Dmitri Shostakovich: A Man of Many Faces
as Narator
(2015)
The Alchemist's Letter
as The Alchemist (voice)
(2014)
Hercules
as Cotys
(2014)
(2014)
Wimbledon The Official Film 2014
as Narrator
(2013)
Snowpiercer
as Gilliam
(2013)
Only Lovers Left Alive
as Christopher Marlowe
(2013)
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot
as The War Doctor (archive voice)
(2013)
Jayne Mansfield's Car
as Kingsley Bedford
(2013)
Hello: A Portrait Of Leslie Phillips
as Self / Stephen Ward
(2013)
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor
as The War Doctor
(2013)
Muse of Fire
as Self
(2013)
(2013)
Doctor Who: The Night of the Doctor
as The War Doctor
(2013)
Benjamin Britten: Peace and Conflict
as Narrator (voice)
(2013)
The Day of the Doctor: Cinema Intro
as The War Doctor
(2013)
Swan Lake 3D - Live from the Mariinsky Theatre
as The Voice of the Winter Palace / Self
(2012)
Sightseers
as Jerusalem Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
(2012)
The Snipist
as The Ministry
(2012)
More Than Honey
as Narrator (english voice)
(2012)
Planet Dinosaur: Ultimate Killers
as Narrator (voice)
(2011)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
as Ollivander
(2011)
Immortals
as Old Zeus
(2011)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
as Control
(2011)
Melancholia
as Dexter
(2011)
The Gruffalo's Child
as The Owl (voice)
(2011)
On Borrowed Time
as Self
(2011)
(2011)
The Confession
as Priest
(2011)
(2011)
23 Degrees, 5 Minutes
as Professor Orit
(2011)
Sailcloth
as Man
(2010)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
as Ollivander
(2010)
Love at First Sight
as Arthur
(2010)
A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures
as Grandpa Sammy (voice)
(2010)
Behind Jim Jarmusch
as Self
(2010)
Brighton Rock
as Phil Corkery
(2010)
(2010)
Whistle and I'll Come to You
as James Parkin
(2010)
Lou
as Doyle
(2009)
The Limits of Control
as Guitar
(2009)
Waking Sleeping Beauty
as The Horned King (voice) (archive footage)
(2009)
Centenary: The BP Story
as Narrator (voice)
(2009)
Making History: Mel Brooks on Creating the World
as Self (archive footage)
(2009)
The Gruffalo
as Owl (voice)
(2009)
An Englishman in New York
as Quentin Crisp
(2009)
44 Inch Chest
as Old Man Peanut
(2009)
Ballybrando
as Self
(2009)
Remembrance
as Bellhop
(2008)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
as Professor Harold Oxley
(2008)
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
as Trevor Bruttenholm
(2008)
Lecture 21
as Mondrian Kilroy
(2008)
New York, I Love You
as Bellhop
(2008)
Outlander
as Rothgar
(2008)
Recount
as Warren Christopher
(2008)
The Oxford Murders
as Arthur Seldom
(2008)
(2007)
Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron
as Professor Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm (voice)
(2007)
Boxes
as Fanny's father
(2007)
(2007)
Interview with John Hurt
as Self
(2006)
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
as Narrator (voice)
(2006)
V for Vendetta
as Adam Sutler
(2006)
The Plot Against Harold Wilson
as Narrator (voice)
(2006)
Shooting Dogs
as Christopher
(2006)
Whaledreamers
as Self
(2005)
The Skeleton Key
as Ben Devereaux
(2005)
Manderlay
as Narrator (voice)
(2005)
Valiant
as Felix (voice)
(2005)
The Proposition
as Jellon Lamb
(2005)
Once Upon a Halloween
as The Horned King
(2005)
Hiroshima
as Narrator (voice)
(2005)
(2004)
Hellboy
as Prof. Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm
(2004)
(2004)
Pride
as Harry (voice)
(2004)
(2004)
Shadowing the Third Man
as Narrator (voice)
(2003)
Owning Mahowny
as Victor Foss
(2003)
Dogville
as Narrator (voice)
(2003)
(2003)
Meeting Che Guevara & the Man from Maybury Hill
as Man from Maybury Hill
(2002)
(2002)
(2002)
The Alien Saga
as Narrator (voice)
(2002)
Crime and Punishment
as Porfiry, chief investigator
(2002)
Miranda
as Christian
(2002)
Bait
as Jack Blake
(2001)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
as Mr. Ollivander
(2001)
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
as Dr. Iannis
(2001)
(2001)
Shaolin: Wheel of Life
as Narrator (voice)
(2001)
The Hidden Wars of Desert Storm
as Narrator (voice)
(2001)
Tabloid
as Vince
(2000)
Krapp's Last Tape
as Krapp
(2000)
The Tigger Movie
as Narrator (voice)
(2000)
Lost Souls
as Father Lareaux
(1999)
All the Little Animals
as Mr. Summers
(1999)
New Blood
as Alan White
(1999)
If... Dog... Rabbit
as Sean Cooper
(1999)
You're Dead...
as Maitland
(1998)
The Climb
as Chuck Langer
(1998)
Love and Death on Long Island
as Giles De'Ath
(1998)
Night Train
as Michael Poole
(1998)
The Commissioner
as James morton
(1997)
Contact
as S. R. Hadden
(1997)
Bandyta
as Babits
(1996)
Tender Loving Care
as Dr. Turner
(1995)
Rob Roy
as John Graham
(1995)
Wild Bill
as Charley Prince
(1995)
Dead Man
as John Scholfield
(1995)
Picture Windows: Two Nudes Bathing
as Marquis de Prey
(1995)
(1995)
Saigon Baby
as Jack Lee
(1995)
On Jupiter
as Narrator (voice)
(1994)
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
as The Countess
(1994)
Thumbelina
as Mr. Mole (voice)
(1994)
Great Moments in Aviation
as Rex Goodyear
(1994)
Second Best
as Uncle Turpin
(1994)
The World of Jim Henson
as The Storyteller (archive footage)
(1994)
Rabbit Ears - Aladdin and the Magic Lamp
as Narrator (voice)
(1993)
Monolith
as Villano
(1992)
Dark at Noon
as Anthony / Le Marquis
(1992)
Six Characters in Search of An Author
as The Father
(1991)
Journey to Knock
as Alfred
(1991)
Lapse of Memory
as Conrad Farmer
(1991)
King Ralph
as Lord Percival Graves
(1991)
I Dreamt I Woke Up
as Boorman's Alter Ego
(1991)
Red Fox
as Archie Carpenter
(1990)
The Field
as Bird' O'Donnell
(1990)
Who Bombed Birmingham?
as Chris Mullin
(1990)
Windprints
as Charles Rutherford
(1990)
(1990)
Frankenstein Unbound
as Dr. Joe Buchanan / Narrator (voice)
(1990)
Resident Alien
as Self - Actor
(1990)
Romeo.Juliet
as La Dame aux Chats / Mercutio (voice)
(1990)
Paul McCartney: From Rio to Liverpool
as Narrator (voice)
(1989)
Scandal
as Stephen Ward
(1989)
Little Sweetheart
as Robert Burger
(1989)
David Macaulay: Pyramid
as Khufu / Second French Explorer (voice)
(1988)
Deadline
as Granville Jones
(1988)
The Bengali Night
as Lucien Metz
(1987)
Spaceballs
as John Hurt
(1987)
The Hunting of the Snark
as The Narrator (voice)
(1987)
Aria
as The Actor
(1987)
From the Hip
as Douglas Benoit
(1987)
White Mischief
as Gilbert Colville
(1987)
Vincent
as (voice)
(1987)
Iceberg
as Narrator (voice)
(1987)
Monolith
as Narrator (voice)
(1987)
(1986)
Jake Speed
as Syd
(1986)
Rocinante
as Bill
(1986)
(1985)
The Black Cauldron
as The Horned King (voice)
(1985)
The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima
as Narrator (voice)
(1985)
After Darkness
as Peter Hunningford
(1985)
Live Aid
as Self
(1984)
Nineteen Eighty-Four
as Winston Smith
(1984)
Champions
as Bob Champion
(1984)
The Hit
as Braddock
(1984)
Success Is the Best Revenge
as Dino Montecurva
(1984)
Sunset People
as Self
(1983)
The Osterman Weekend
as Lawrence Fassett
(1983)
King Lear
as The Fool
(1982)
Night Crossing
as Peter Strelzyk
(1982)
Partners
as Kerwin
(1982)
The Plague Dogs
as Snitter (voice)
(1982)
(1981)
History of the World: Part I
as Jesus - The Roman Empire
(1980)
The Elephant Man
as John Merrick
(1980)
Heaven's Gate
as Billy Irvine
(1980)
(1979)
Alien
as Kane
(1978)
The Lord of the Rings
as Aragorn (voice)
(1978)
Midnight Express
as Max
(1978)
Watership Down
as Hazel (voice)
(1978)
The Shout
as Anthony Fielding
(1977)
The Disappearance
as Atkinson
(1977)
Spectre
as Mitri Cyon
(1977)
Three Dangerous Ladies
as Lt. George Simmonds
(1977)
East of Elephant Rock
as Nash
(1976)
Stream Line
as Chandler
(1976)
The Peddler
as Alec Cassell
(1975)
The Ghoul
as Tom Rawlings
(1975)
The Naked Civil Servant
as Quentin Crisp
(1974)
Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs
as Malcolm Scrawdyke
(1974)
The Playboy of the Western World
as Christopher Mahon (Christy Mahon)
(1972)
The Pied Piper
as Franz
(1971)
10 Rillington Place
as Timothy Evans
(1971)
Mr. Forbush and the Penguins
as Richard Forbush
(1969)
Sinful Davey
as Davey Haggart
(1969)
Before Winter Comes
as Lieutenant Pilkington
(1969)
In Search of Gregory
as Daniel
(1967)
The Sailor from Gibraltar
as John
(1966)
A Man for All Seasons
as Richard Rich
(1964)
This Is My Street
as Charlie
(1962)
The Wild and the Willing
as Phil Corbett