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John Hurt

John Hurt

Acting

Born: January 22, 1940Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, UK

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
Filmography
Doctor Who: Wish World & The Reality War

Doctor Who: Wish World & The Reality War

The Doctor (archive footage) (uncredited)

2025
Henry Fonda for President

Henry Fonda for President

Self (archive footage)

2025
Doctor Who at the Proms

Doctor Who at the Proms

The Doctor (War) (archive footage)

2024
Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony

Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony

Self (archive footage)

2021
Ayamé

Ayamé

Narrator (voice)

2018
Damascus Cover

Damascus Cover

Miki

2017
That Good Night

That Good Night

Ralph

2017
My Name Is Lenny

My Name Is Lenny

Leslie Salmon

2017
The Journey

The Journey

Harry Patterson

2017
Jackie

Jackie

The Priest

2016

The Pity of War: The Loves and Lives of the War Poets

Siegfried Sassoon

2016
Back to Utopia

Back to Utopia

Professor Peter Panludic (voice)

2016
The Final Reel

The Final Reel

Self - Narrator (voice)

2016
ChickLit

ChickLit

Francis Bonar

2016
Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song

Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song

The Doctor (War) (picture) (uncredited)

2015
Thomas & Friends: Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure: The Movie

Thomas & Friends: Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure: The Movie

Sailor John (voice)

2015
A.K.A Nadia

A.K.A Nadia

347

2015
Break

Break

Jack

2015
The Alchemist's Letter

The Alchemist's Letter

The Alchemist (voice)

2015
Dmitri Shostakovich: A Man of Many Faces

Dmitri Shostakovich: A Man of Many Faces

Narator

2015
Wimbledon The Official Film 2014

Wimbledon The Official Film 2014

Narrator

2014
Richard Attenborough: A Life in Film

Richard Attenborough: A Life in Film

Self

2014
Hercules

Hercules

Cotys

2014
Only Lovers Left Alive

Only Lovers Left Alive

Christopher Marlowe

2013
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot

The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot

The War Doctor (archive voice)

2013
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor

Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor

The War Doctor

2013
The Day of the Doctor: Cinema Intro

The Day of the Doctor: Cinema Intro

The War Doctor

2013
Doctor Who Live: The Afterparty

Doctor Who Live: The Afterparty

Self

2013
Doctor Who: The Night of the Doctor

Doctor Who: The Night of the Doctor

The War Doctor

2013
Hello: A Portrait Of Leslie Phillips

Hello: A Portrait Of Leslie Phillips

Self / Stephen Ward

2013
Muse of Fire

Muse of Fire

Self

2013
Snowpiercer

Snowpiercer

Gilliam

2013
Jayne Mansfield's Car

Jayne Mansfield's Car

Kingsley Bedford

2013
Swan Lake 3D - Live from the Mariinsky Theatre

Swan Lake 3D - Live from the Mariinsky Theatre

The Voice of the Winter Palace / Self

2013
Benjamin Britten: Peace and Conflict

Benjamin Britten: Peace and Conflict

Narrator (voice)

2013
Sightseers

Sightseers

Jerusalem Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

2012
Planet Dinosaur: Ultimate Killers

Planet Dinosaur: Ultimate Killers

Narrator (voice)

2012
More Than Honey

More Than Honey

Narrator (english voice)

2012
The Snipist

The Snipist

The Ministry

2012
The Gruffalo's Child

The Gruffalo's Child

The Owl (voice)

2011
Immortals

Immortals

Old Zeus

2011
On Borrowed Time

On Borrowed Time

Self

2011
In Love with Alma Cogan

In Love with Alma Cogan

MC

2011
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Control

2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Ollivander

2011
23 Degrees, 5 Minutes

23 Degrees, 5 Minutes

Professor Orit

2011
The Journey – Stories from the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

The Journey – Stories from the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

Narrator

2011
Melancholia

Melancholia

Dexter

2011
The Confession

The Confession

Priest

2011
Sailcloth

Sailcloth

Man

2011
Whistle and I'll Come to You

Whistle and I'll Come to You

James Parkin

2010
Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie

Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie

Carnak

2010
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Ollivander

2010
Love at First Sight

Love at First Sight

Arthur

2010
Brighton Rock

Brighton Rock

Phil Corkery

2010

Behind Jim Jarmusch

Self

2010
A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures

A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures

Grandpa Sammy (voice)

2010
Lou

Lou

Doyle

2010
The Gruffalo

The Gruffalo

Owl (voice)

2009
Making History: Mel Brooks on Creating the World

Making History: Mel Brooks on Creating the World

Self (archive footage)

2009
Ballybrando

Ballybrando

Self

2009
44 Inch Chest

44 Inch Chest

Old Man Peanut

2009

Remembrance

Bellhop

2009
Waking Sleeping Beauty

Waking Sleeping Beauty

The Horned King (voice) (archive footage)

2009
The Limits of Control

The Limits of Control

Guitar

2009
An Englishman in New York

An Englishman in New York

Quentin Crisp

2009
Centenary: The BP Story

Centenary: The BP Story

Narrator (voice)

2009
Lecture 21

Lecture 21

Mondrian Kilroy

2008
New York, I Love You

New York, I Love You

Bellhop

2008
Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Trevor Bruttenholm

2008
Recount

Recount

Warren Christopher

2008
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Professor Harold Oxley

2008
Outlander

Outlander

Rothgar

2008
Verity Lambert: Drama Queen

Verity Lambert: Drama Queen

2008
The Oxford Murders

The Oxford Murders

Arthur Seldom

2008
Boxes

Boxes

Fanny's father

2007
Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron

Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron

Professor Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm (voice)

2007
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas

The 50 Greatest Television Dramas

Self

2007
Interview with John Hurt

Interview with John Hurt

Self

2007
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Narrator (voice)

2006
Whaledreamers

Whaledreamers

Self

2006
'V for Vendetta' Unmasked

'V for Vendetta' Unmasked

Adam Sutler

2006
The Plot Against Harold Wilson

The Plot Against Harold Wilson

Narrator (voice)

2006
Shooting Dogs

Shooting Dogs

Christopher

2006
V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta

Adam Sutler

2006
The Proposition

The Proposition

Jellon Lamb

2005
Once Upon a Halloween

Once Upon a Halloween

The Horned King (voice) (archive sound)

2005
Hiroshima

Hiroshima

Narrator (voice)

2005
The Skeleton Key

The Skeleton Key

Ben Devereaux

2005
Manderlay

Manderlay

Narrator (voice)

2005
Valiant

Valiant

Felix (voice)

2005
Short Order

Short Order

Felix

2005
Shadowing the Third Man

Shadowing the Third Man

Narrator (voice)

2004
Hellboy: The Seeds of Creation

Hellboy: The Seeds of Creation

Self

2004
Pride

Pride

Harry (voice)

2004
Hellboy

Hellboy

Prof. Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm

2004
Alpha to Omega: Exposing 'The Osterman Weekend'

Alpha to Omega: Exposing 'The Osterman Weekend'

Self

2004
The Beast Within: Making Alien

The Beast Within: Making Alien

Self

2003
Dogville

Dogville

Narrator (voice)

2003
Meeting Che Guevara & the Man from Maybury Hill

Meeting Che Guevara & the Man from Maybury Hill

Man from Maybury Hill

2003
Owning Mahowny

Owning Mahowny

Victor Foss

2003
The Alien Saga

The Alien Saga

Narrator (voice)

2002

The Twilight Hour: Visions of Ireland's Haunted Past

Self

2002
I, Claudius: A Television Epic

I, Claudius: A Television Epic

Self

2002
Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment

Porfiry, chief investigator

2002
Bait

Bait

Jack Blake

2002
Miranda

Miranda

Christian

2002
The Terrible Elephant Man Revealed

The Terrible Elephant Man Revealed

Self

2001
Shaolin: Wheel of Life

Shaolin: Wheel of Life

Narrator (voice)

2001
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Mr. Ollivander

2001
Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Dr. Iannis

2001
The Hidden Wars of Desert Storm

The Hidden Wars of Desert Storm

Narrator (voice)

2001
Tabloid

Tabloid

Vince

2001
Lost Souls

Lost Souls

Father Lareaux

2000
Krapp's Last Tape

Krapp's Last Tape

Krapp

2000
The Tigger Movie

The Tigger Movie

Narrator (voice)

2000
New Blood

New Blood

Alan White

1999
You're Dead...

You're Dead...

Maitland

1999
If... Dog... Rabbit

If... Dog... Rabbit

Sean Cooper

1999
All the Little Animals

All the Little Animals

Mr. Summers

1999
Love and Death on Long Island

Love and Death on Long Island

Giles De'Ath

1998
The Climb

The Climb

Chuck Langer

1998
The Commissioner

The Commissioner

James morton

1998
Night Train

Night Train

Michael Poole

1998
Brute

Brute

Babits

1997
Contact

Contact

S. R. Hadden

1997
Tender Loving Care

Tender Loving Care

Dr. Turner

1996
Dead Man

Dead Man

John Scholfield

1995

Saigon Baby

Jack Lee

1995
Wild Bill

Wild Bill

Charley Prince

1995

On Jupiter

Narrator (voice)

1995
Rob Roy

Rob Roy

John Graham

1995
Picture Windows: Two Nudes Bathing

Picture Windows: Two Nudes Bathing

Marquis de Prey

1995
The World of Jim Henson

The World of Jim Henson

The Storyteller (archive footage)

1994
Second Best

Second Best

Uncle Turpin

1994
Rabbit Ears - Aladdin and the Magic Lamp

Rabbit Ears - Aladdin and the Magic Lamp

Narrator (voice)

1994
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

The Countess

1994
Great Moments in Aviation

Great Moments in Aviation

Rex Goodyear

1994
Thumbelina

Thumbelina

Mr. Mole (voice)

1994
Monolith

Monolith

Villano

1993
Six Characters in Search of An Author

Six Characters in Search of An Author

The Father

1992
Dark at Noon

Dark at Noon

Anthony / Le Marquis

1992
Red Fox

Red Fox

Archie Carpenter

1991
I Dreamt I Woke Up

I Dreamt I Woke Up

Boorman's Alter Ego

1991

Journey to Knock

Alfred

1991
Lapse of Memory

Lapse of Memory

Conrad Farmer

1991
King Ralph

King Ralph

Lord Percival Graves

1991
Paul McCartney: From Rio to Liverpool

Paul McCartney: From Rio to Liverpool

Narrator (voice)

1990
Frankenstein Unbound

Frankenstein Unbound

Dr. Joe Buchanan / Narrator (voice)

1990
Jonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only: David Lynch

Jonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only: David Lynch

Self

1990
The Field

The Field

Bird' O'Donnell

1990
Resident Alien

Resident Alien

Self - Actor

1990
Windprints

Windprints

Charles Rutherford

1990
Who Bombed Birmingham?

Who Bombed Birmingham?

Chris Mullin

1990
Romeo.Juliet

Romeo.Juliet

La Dame aux Chats / Mercutio (voice)

1990
Poison Candy

Poison Candy

Robert Burger

1989
Scandal

Scandal

Stephen Ward

1989
David Macaulay: Pyramid

David Macaulay: Pyramid

Khufu / Second French Explorer (voice)

1989
The Bengali Night

The Bengali Night

Lucien Metz

1988
The Storyteller: The True Bride

The Storyteller: The True Bride

The Storyteller

1988
The Storyteller: The Heartless Giant

The Storyteller: The Heartless Giant

The Storyteller

1988
The Storyteller: Hans My Hedgehog

The Storyteller: Hans My Hedgehog

The Storyteller

1988
The Storyteller: A Story Short

The Storyteller: A Story Short

The Storyteller

1988
The Storyteller: The Luck Child

The Storyteller: The Luck Child

The Storyteller

1988
The Storyteller: Fearnot

The Storyteller: Fearnot

The Storyteller

1988
The Storyteller: The Soldier and Death

The Storyteller: The Soldier and Death

The Storyteller

1988
Deadline

Deadline

Granville Jones

1988
White Mischief

White Mischief

Gilbert Colville

1987
Vincent

Vincent

(voice)

1987
Spaceballs

Spaceballs

John Hurt

1987
Aria

Aria

The Actor

1987

The Hunting of the Snark

The Narrator (voice)

1987
From the Hip

From the Hip

Douglas Benoit

1987

Frightmares

1987
Monolith

Monolith

Narrator (voice)

1987
Iceberg

Iceberg

Narrator (voice)

1987

Rocinante

Bill

1986
Thames Film

Thames Film

1986
Jake Speed

Jake Speed

Syd

1986
The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima

The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima

Narrator (voice)

1985
The Black Cauldron

The Black Cauldron

The Horned King (voice)

1985
Live Aid

Live Aid

Self

1985
After Darkness

After Darkness

Peter Hunningford

1985
Nineteen Eighty-Four

Nineteen Eighty-Four

Winston Smith

1984
The Hit

The Hit

Braddock

1984
Success Is the Best Revenge

Success Is the Best Revenge

Dino Montecurva

1984
Champions

Champions

Bob Champion

1984
Sunset People

Sunset People

Self

1984
The Osterman Weekend

The Osterman Weekend

Lawrence Fassett

1983
King Lear

King Lear

The Fool

1983
The Plague Dogs

The Plague Dogs

Snitter (voice)

1982

Paul McCartney - Take It Away

Self

1982
Partners

Partners

Kerwin

1982
Night Crossing

Night Crossing

Peter Strelzyk

1982
History of the World: Part I

History of the World: Part I

Jesus - The Roman Empire

1981
Heaven's Gate

Heaven's Gate

Billy Irvine

1980
The Elephant Man

The Elephant Man

John Merrick

1980

An Evening with Quentin Crisp

Host

1980
Alien

Alien

Kane

1979
The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings

Aragorn (voice)

1978
Watership Down

Watership Down

Hazel (voice)

1978
Midnight Express

Midnight Express

Max

1978
The Shout

The Shout

Anthony Fielding

1978
The Disappearance

The Disappearance

Atkinson

1977
East of Elephant Rock

East of Elephant Rock

Nash

1977
Three Dangerous Ladies

Three Dangerous Ladies

Lt. George Simmonds

1977
Spectre

Spectre

Mitri Cyon

1977
Stream Line

Stream Line

Chandler

1976
The Peddler

The Peddler

Alec Cassell

1976
The Naked Civil Servant

The Naked Civil Servant

Quentin Crisp

1975
The Ghoul

The Ghoul

Tom Rawlings

1975
Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs

Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs

Malcolm Scrawdyke

1974

The Playboy of the Western World

Christopher Mahon (Christy Mahon)

1974
The Pied Piper

The Pied Piper

Franz

1972

Green Julia

Bob

1971
Mr. Forbush and the Penguins

Mr. Forbush and the Penguins

Richard Forbush

1971
10 Rillington Place

10 Rillington Place

Timothy Evans

1971
In Search of Gregory

In Search of Gregory

Daniel

1969
Sinful Davey

Sinful Davey

Davey Haggart

1969
Before Winter Comes

Before Winter Comes

Lieutenant Pilkington

1969
The Sailor from Gibraltar

The Sailor from Gibraltar

John

1967
A Man for All Seasons

A Man for All Seasons

Richard Rich

1966
This Is My Street

This Is My Street

Charlie

1964
The Wild and the Willing

The Wild and the Willing

Phil Corbett

1962