JH
Photo of John Hurt

John Hurt

Actor
Born January 22, 1940Died January 25, 2017 (77 years)
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.
Movies & Shows on Plex
  • Melancholia
  • The Proposition
  • New York, I Love You
  • The Hit
  • The Osterman Weekend
  • The Plague Dogs
  • A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures
  • The Shout
  • Jim Henson's The Storyteller
  • Jayne Mansfield's Car
  • All the Little Animals
  • Masters of Science Fiction
  • Miranda
  • An Englishman in New York
  • New Blood
  • That Good Night
  • A Monkey's Tale
  • Vincent
  • Lou
  • Picture Windows
  • Whistle and I'll Come to You
Known For
  • V for Vendetta
  • Alien
  • The Elephant Man
  • Snowpiercer
  • Hellboy
  • Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
  • 1984
  • Contact
  • Hercules
  • Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
  • Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
  • Dogville
  • Watership Down
  • Hellboy II: The Golden Army
  • The Skeleton Key
  • Immortals
  • Human Planet
  • Melancholia
  • Midnight Express
  • Jackie
  • Outlander
  • Only Lovers Left Alive
  • Rob Roy
  • The Oxford Murders

Filmography

2019
Simon Marsden's Haunted Life In Pictures · as Narrator - Edgar Allan Poe
2017
Damascus Cover · as Miki
2017
2017
My Name Is Lenny · as Leslie Salmon
2016
The Journey · as Harry Patterson
2016
ChickLit · as Francis Bonar
2016
Jackie · as The Priest
2015
The Last Panthers (TV Series) · as Tom
2015
2015
A.K.A Nadia · as 347
2015
Break · as Jack
2014
Hercules · as Cotys
2013
2013
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot · as The War Doctor (archive Voice)
2013
2013
2013
Only Lovers Left Alive · as Christopher Marlowe
2013
Charlie Countryman · as Narrator
2013
Snowpiercer · as Gilliam
2013
2012
Jayne Mansfield's Car · as Kingsley Bedford
2012
Sightseers · as Jerusalem Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
2012
Labyrinth (TV Series) · as Audric Baillard
2012
More Than Honey · as Narrator (english Voice)
2012
Planet Dinosaur: Ultimate Killers · as Narrator (voice)
2012
2012
The Hollow Crown (TV Series) · as The Chorus
2012
The Snipist · as The Ministry
2012
Playhouse Presents (TV Series) · as The Ministry
2011
The Gruffalo's Child · as The Owl (voice)
2011
Immortals · as Old Zeus
2011
2011
Planet Dinosaur (TV Series) · as Narrator
2011
2011
2011
The Confession · as Priest
2011
The Confession (TV Series) · as Priest
2011
Human Planet (TV Series) · as Narrator (voice)
2010
2010
2010
2010
Love at First Sight · as Arthur
2010
Brighton Rock · as Phil Corkery
2010
2010
Lou · as Doyle
2009
The Gruffalo · as Owl (voice)
2009
44 Inch Chest · as Old Man Peanut
2009
Waking Sleeping Beauty · as The Horned King (voice) (archive Footage)
2009
2009
2008
Lezione 21 · as Mondrian Kilroy
2008
Merlin (TV Series) · as The Great Dragon (voice)
2008
2008
2008
Outlander · as Rothgar
2008
Hellboy II: The Golden Army · as Trevor Bruttenholm
2008
Strictly Courtroom · as Timothy John Evans
2008
Recount · as Warren Christopher
2008
2008
The Oxford Murders · as Arthur Seldom
2007
Masters of Science Fiction (TV Series) · as Samswope
2007
Boxes · as Fanny's Father
2007
Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron · as Professor Trevor 'broom' Bruttenholm (voice)
2006
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer · as Narrator (voice)
2005
V for Vendetta · as Adam Sutler
2005
Shooting Dogs · as Christopher
2005
The Proposition · as Jellon Lamb
2005
Once Upon a Halloween · as The Horned King
2005
Hiroshima · as Narrator (voice)
2005
The Skeleton Key · as Ben Devereaux
2005
Valiant · as Felix (voice)
2005
Manderlay · as Narrator (voice)
2005
Doctor Who (2005) (TV Series) · as The Doctor
2005
2004
Shadowing the Third Man · as Narrator (voice)
2004
Pride · as Harry (voice)
2004
Hellboy · as Prof. Trevor 'broom' Bruttenholm
2004
The Alan Clark Diaries (TV Series) · as Alan Clark
2003
Owning Mahowny · as Victor Foss
2003
Dogville · as Narrator (voice)
2003
2002
Bait · as Jack Blake
2002
The 'Alien' Saga · as Narrator (voice)
2002
Miranda · as Christian
2002
Crime and Punishment · as Porfiry, Chief Investigator
2002
Edge of the Universe (TV Series) · as Narrator (voice)
2001
2001
2001
The Hidden Wars of Desert Storm · as Narrator (voice)
2001
Tabloid · as Vince
2000
Lost Souls · as Father Lareaux
2000
2000
Krapp's Last Tape · as Krapp
2000
The Tigger Movie · as Narrator (voice)
1999
New Blood · as Alan White
1999
Universe (1999) (TV Series) · as Narrator
1999
You're Dead... · as Maitland
1999
If... Dog... Rabbit · as Sean Cooper
1999
Watership Down (TV Series) · as General Woundwort
1999
A Monkey's Tale · as Sebastian
1998
1998
Night Train · as Michael Poole
1998
The Commissioner · as James Morton
1997
The Climb · as Chuck Langer
1997
Bandyta · as Babits
1997
Contact · as S. R. Hadden
1997
1996
Tender Loving Care · as Dr. Turner
1995
Dead Man · as John Scholfield
1995
Wild Bill · as Charley Prince
1995
Rob Roy · as John Graham
1994
The World of Jim Henson · as The Storyteller (archive Footage)
1994
Felidae · as Pascal
1994
Picture Windows (TV Series) · as Marquis De Prey
1994
Second Best · as Uncle Turpin
1994
Förräderi · as Narrator
1994
Shades of Fear · as Rex Goodyear
1994
Thumbelina · as Mr. Mole (voice)
1993
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues · as The Countess
1993
Monolith · as Villano
1992
Dark at Noon · as Anthony / Le Marquis
1991
Performance (TV Series) · as The Father
1991
Lapse of Memory · as Conrad Farmer
1991
Eurythmics: Greatest Hits · as Winston (segment "sexcrime")
1991
King Ralph · as Lord Percival Graves
1990
Journey to Knock · as Alfred
1990
Paul McCartney: Going Home · as Narrator (voice)
1990
The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson · as The Storyteller
1990
Frankenstein Unbound · as Dr. Joe Buchanan / Narrator (voice)
1990
The Field · as Bird' O'donnell
1990
1990
Hollywood Mavericks · as John Merrick
1990
1990
Romeo.Juliet · as La Dame Aux Chats / Mercutio (voice)
1989
Windprints · as Charles Rutherford
1989
Scandal · as Stephen Ward
1988
Little Sweetheart · as Robert Burger
1988
David Macaulay: Pyramid · as Khufu / Second French Explorer (voice)
1988
The Bengali Night · as Lucien Metz
1988
Deadline · as Granville Jones
1987
White Mischief · as Gilbert Colville
1987
Vincent · as (voice)
1987
1987
Aria · as The Actor
1987
The Hunting of the Snark · as The Narrator (voice)
1987
From the Hip · as Douglas Benoit
1987
AIDS: Iceberg · as Narrator
1987
Jim Henson's The Storyteller (TV Series) · as The Storyteller
1987
Monolith · as Narrator (voice)
1987
AIDS: Monolith · as Narrator
1986
Rocinante · as Bill
1986
Screenplay (1986) (TV Series) · as Alfred
1986
Jake Speed · as Syd
1985
The Black Cauldron · as The Horned King (voice)
1985
After Darkness · as Peter Hunningford
1984
Screen Two (TV Series) · as Jack Lee
1984
1984 · as Winston Smith
1984
The Hit · as Braddock
1984
Success Is the Best Revenge · as Dino Montecurva
1984
Champions · as Bob Champion
1983
Natural World (TV Series) · as Narrator
1983
The Osterman Weekend · as Lawrence Fassett
1983
King Lear · as The Fool
1982
The Plague Dogs · as Snitter (voice)
1982
Partners · as Kerwin
1982
Night Crossing · as Peter Strelzyk
1981
History of the World: Part I · as Jesus - The Roman Empire
1980
Heaven's Gate · as Billy Irvine
1980
The Elephant Man · as John Merrick
1980
1979
Alien · as Kane
1979
Crime and Punishment (1979) (TV Series) · as Raskolnikov
1978
The Lord of the Rings · as Aragorn (voice)
1978
Watership Down · as Hazel (voice)
1978
1978
The Shout · as Anthony Fielding
1978
1977
The Disappearance · as Atkinson
1977
1977
Three Dangerous Ladies · as Lt. George Simmonds
1977
Spectre · as Mitri Cyon
1976
I, Claudius (TV Series) · as Caligula
1975
The Naked Civil Servant · as Quentin Crisp
1975
Saturday Night Live (TV Series) · as March Hare
1975
The Ghoul · as Tom Rawlings
1975
The Sweeney (TV Series) · as Tony Grey
1974
1974
NOVA (TV Series) · as Narrator
1973
Wessex Tales (TV Series) · as Joshua Harlborough
1972
The Pied Piper · as Franz
1971
A Ghost Story for Christmas (TV Series) · as James Parkin
1971
Cry of the Penguins · as Richard Forbush
1971
10 Rillington Place · as Timothy Evans
1971
Great Performances (TV Series) · as Narrator
1970
Play for Today (TV Series) · as Alec Cassell
1969
1969
Sinful Davey · as Davey Haggart
1969
ITV Saturday Night Theatre (TV Series) · as Bob
1968
Before Winter Comes · as Lieutenant Pilkington
1967
Omnibus (1967) (TV Series) · as Nijinsky
1967
ITV Playhouse (TV Series) · as Guy Beresford
1967
1966
A Man for All Seasons · as Richard Rich
1964
Gideon C.I.D. (TV Series) · as Freddy Tisdale
1964
This Is My Street · as Charlie
1963
First Night (TV Series) · as Desmond
1963
Love Story (1963) (TV Series) · as Harry Eddows
1963
The Contact · as Cast
1962
Young and Willing · as Phil Corbett
1962
Z Cars (TV Series) · as James Hogan
1956
Armchair Theatre (TV Series) · as Joe
1955
ITV Play of the Week (TV Series) · as Dave
1955
This is Your Life (UK) (TV Series) · as Filmed Tribute

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