British Actor John Hurt, Star of ‘The Elephant Man,' Dies at 77
Hurt was nominated for an Oscar for "The Elephant Man"
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The versatile actor Sir John Hurt, who could move audiences to tears in "The Elephant Man," terrify them in "Alien," and spoof that very same scene in "Spaceballs," has died. He was 77.
Hurt, who battled pancreatic cancer, died Friday in London according to his agent Charles McDonald.
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Actor John Hurt poses for the photographers as he arrives for the 19th annual Women in Film and Television Awards, in central London, Friday Dec. 4, 2009. Hurt was to present actress Helen Mirren with The Working Title Films Lifetime Achievement Award given in recognition of her outstanding and lasting contribution to film and television.
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British actor John Hurt is seen during the filming of "Mr. Forbush and the Penguins" in this March 1970 file photo.
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British actor Richard Attenborough, center, plays mass-murderer John Reginald Christie, in the lead role of "Rillington Place", in London, England, May 17, 1970. John Hurt, right, plays Timothy John Evans and Judy Geeson plays his wife Beryl Evans.
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Shown from left to right: British actor John Hurt, U.S. actor Brad Davis, author Billy Hayes and British director Alan Parker are seen in Cannes, France, for the screening of their film "Midnight Express" at the 31st International Film Festival, on May 18, 1978.
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Actor John Hurt is seen filming "The Elephant Man" in this Sept. 29, 1980 file photo.
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Academy Award nominee John Hurt sits with actress Catherine Hicks at a cocktail party in Los Angeles, Monday, March 17, 1981. Hurt was nominated for best actor for his role in “The Elephant Man.”
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British actor John Hurt reprises his role as the storyteller in an all-new chapter of the 1987 Emmy-winning NBC Family Special “The Storyteller” Oct. 7, 1987. This edition, “Fearnot,” is about a carefree young man whose total lack of fear drives him to seek out terrifying and dangerous creatures just to experience the emotion. The drama will be telecast Monday, Oct. 26.
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Actors Bridget Fonda, left, and John Hurt are joined by Christine Keeler at Stringfellow’s, a New York nightclub, for a party celebrating the New York premier of the film, “Scandal,” in New York, Tuesday, April 25, 1989. The film is based on the early 60’s sex scandal involving keeler and then-British War Minister John Profumo.
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British actor John Hurt waves to photographers just before the presentation of the film "Dark At Noon" in Cannes, France, May 16, 1992.
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Actor John Hurt laughs as he holds his CBE, presented to him by the Queen at Buckingham Palace for his service to drama, in London, Thursday Dec. 9, 2004. Hurt has appeared in more than 60 films, including Midnight Express, and A Man For All Seasons.
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Actors John Hurt, Stephen Rea, Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman attend the photocall for "V For Vendetta" as part of the 56th Berlin International Film Festival on Feb. 13, 2006 in Berlin, Germany.
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Paul Watson, left and John Hurt poses with the Special Award at the British Academy Television Awards 2008 at The Palladium on April 20, 2008 in London, England.
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Actor John Hurt poses with his canvas at the 'Stars On Canvas' Private View at the SW1 Gallery on Dec. 3, 2008 in London, England. The canvases will be auctioned to raise money for The Willow Foundation which helps provide special days for people living with cancer, cystic fibrosis, motor neurone disease, muscular dystrophy, organ failure and Huntington's.
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Actor John Hurt poses for the photographers as he arrives for the 19th annual Women in Film and Television Awards, in central London, Friday Dec. 4, 2009. Hurt was to present actress Helen Mirren with The Working Title Films Lifetime Achievement Award given in recognition of her outstanding and lasting contribution to film and television.
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John Hurt receives his BFI Fellowship during the Times' BFI 53rd London Film Festival Awards Ceremony at Inner Temple on October 28, 2009 in London, England.
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Actor John Hurt attends the "Jayne Mansfield's Car" Photocall during day five of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival at the Grand Hyatt on Feb. 13, 2012 in Berlin, Germany.
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John Hurt appears On The Red Carpet during The 8th Rome Film Festival at Auditorium Parco Della Musica on Nov. 9, 2013 in Rome, Italy.
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The actors who plays past and present Doctor Who are seen, from left to right - Matt Smith, Tom Baker, Peter Davison and John Hurt, during a reception to mark the 50th anniversary of the hit TV series at Buckingham Palace as British actor Peter Davison, the fifth incarnation of the Doctor role looks on, on Nov. 18, 2013 in London, England.
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Ian McShane, Dwayne Johnson, Brett Ratner and John Hurt attend a photocall for "Hercules" at Trafalgar Square on July 2, 2014 in London, England.
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British actor Sir John Hurt poses with his wife Anwen after being awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II during an Investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on July 17, 2015 in London, England.
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Actor John Hurt attends the "Suffragette" premiere at the Opening Night Gala during the BFI London Film Festival at the Odeon Leicester Square on Oct. 7, 2015 in London, England.
Twice nominated for an Oscar for playing the tortured John Merrick in David Lynch's "The Elephant Man" and for his role as the heroin addict Max in "Midnight Express," Hurt's career spanned over 50 years. After minor television and film appearances, his breakout came in 1966 as Richard Rich in Fred Zinnemann's "A Man For All Seasons," followed by his portrayal of Caligula in the BBC miniseries "I, Claudius" in 1976.
The wiry Hurt brought gravitas to Alan Parker's 1978 film "Midnight Express," for which he received a supporting actor Oscar nomination (he lost to Christopher Walken for "The Deer Hunter") and an uneasy humor to Kane in Ridley Scott's "Alien," immortalized by his disturbing death scene, which Mel Brooks later poked fun at with Hurt's help in "Spaceballs."
"It was terribly sad today to learn of John Hurt's passing," Mel Brooks wrote on Twitter. "He was a truly magnificent talent."
Hurt is unrecognizable in perhaps his most memorable role as the lead in David Lynch's "The Elephant Man." He endured eight hours in the makeup chair daily to transform into John Merrick. The elaborate mask prohibited him from sleeping lying down or even eating while it was on. His would eat his last meal midmorning as the mask was being applied — usually raw eggs mixed in orange juice — and not again until after midnight.
"To be quite honest, the film was misery to make because of the physical problems, so if it's working I'm jumping for joy," Hurt said in a 1980 interview. Hurt did score a lead actor Oscar nomination for the role, but lost out to Robert De Niro's performance in "Raging Bull."
Hurt was also a prolific voice actor, appearing as Hazel in the animated "Watership Down," and as Aragorn in Ralph Bakshi's "The Lord of the Rings." He also voiced The Horned King in "The Black Cauldron" and provided the narration for "Dogville."
In the "Harry Potter" films, Hurt played the wand-maker Mr. Ollivander. In recent years, he appeared in notable fare such as "Melancholia," ''Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," ''Only Lovers Left Alive" and "Snowpiercer."
"We're all just passing time, and occupy our chair very briefly," Hurt said in a 2015 interview while undergoing treatments for the early stage cancer.
As prolific as ever, Hurt recently appeared alongside his "V for Vendetta" co-star Natalie Portman in the Oscar-nominated film "Jackie" as a priest who consoles and advises the recently widowed first lady.
Hurt leaves behind a few in production credits, including Joe Wright's "Darkest Hour" which is listed as still filming. Hurt plays Neville Chamberlain in the film about Winston Churchill's charge against Hitler. Gary Oldman plays Churchill.
"I have lots of favorite memories but I can't say that I have a favorite film. I have favorite parts which are not in particularly successful films," Hurt told The Guardian in 2000. "I've worked with people from Fred Zinnemann, John Huston, through to Richard Fleischer, all of those boys from Hollywood and so on and Sam Peckinpah and then the Mike Radfords... I've been incredibly lucky with the directors I've worked with. You don't realize it at the time, it's just in retrospect if you look back you think, 'Jeez, when I saw that CV it nearly frightened the life out of me.' I thought, "That's not bad for an old drunk."
