Editing John Hurt (section)

==Career==
{{See also|List of John Hurt performances}}
=== 1962–1975 ===
[[File:Hans Holbein the Younger - Sir Richard Rich, later 1st Baron Rich RL 12238.jpg|thumb|right|170px|Hurt portrayed Sir Richard Rich in ''[[A Man for All Seasons (1966 film)|A Man for All Seasons]]'' (1966)]]

Hurt's first film role was as Phil Corbett in the [[Ralph Thomas]] directed British romantic drama ''[[The Wild and the Willing]]'' (1962). Hurt starred alongside [[Virginia Maskell]] and [[Paul Rogers (actor)|Paul Rogers]]. In 1963 he acted in the [[Kitchen sink realism|Kitchen sink drama]] ''[[This Is My Street]]''. The following year he appeared in the television series ''[[Gideon's Way]]'' episode: The Tin God (1964) as prison escapee Freddy Tisdale.

Hurt's first major role was as [[Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich|Richard Rich]] in the [[Fred Zinnemann]] directed historical drama film ''[[A Man for All Seasons (1966 film)|A Man for All Seasons]]'' (1966).<ref name="IGNobit"/> Hurt acted alongside [[Paul Scofield]], [[Wendy Hiller]], [[Orson Welles]], [[Robert Shaw (actor)|Robert Shaw]], [[Susannah York]], and [[Vanessa Redgrave]]. The film received critical acclaim and six [[Academy Awards]] including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]. Hurt then acted in the British romantic drama ''[[The Sailor from Gibraltar]]'' starring [[Jeanne Moreau]] directed by [[Tony Richardson]]. He then starred in [[John Huston]]'s raunchy adventure comedy ''[[Sinful Davey]]'' (1969) which critics compared to the film ''[[Tom Jones (1963 film)|Tom Jones]]''. That same year he acted in the British war film ''[[Before Winter Comes]]'' opposite [[David Niven]] and the drama ''[[In Search of Gregory]]'' alongside [[Julie Christie]].

He then played [[Timothy Evans]], who was hanged for murders committed by his landlord [[John Reginald Halliday Christie|John Christie]], in ''[[10 Rillington Place]]'' (1971), earning him his first [[BAFTA]] nomination for Best Supporting Actor. His portrayal of [[Quentin Crisp]] in the TV play ''[[The Naked Civil Servant (film)|The Naked Civil Servant]]'' (1975) gave him prominence and earned him the [[British Academy Television Award]] for Best Actor.<ref name="IGNobit">{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/01/28/alien-and-harry-potter-actor-john-hurt-dies|website=IGN|title=Alien and Harry Potter Actor John HurtDies|access-date=27 January 2017|date=27 January 2017|first=Seth G.|last=Macy}}</ref> The following year, Hurt appeared as Anthony John Grey, a crooked computer programming expert in ''[[The Sweeney]]'' episode ''Tomorrow Man.''

=== 1976–1980 ===
[[File:Joseph Merrick carte de visite photo, c. 1889.jpg|thumb|left|160px|Hurt portrayed [[Joseph Merrick]] in ''[[The Elephant Man (1980 film)|The Elephant Man]]'' (1980)]]
He won further acclaim for his bravura performance as the [[ancient Rome|Roman]] emperor [[Caligula]] in the [[BBC]] drama serial ''[[I, Claudius (TV series)|I, Claudius]]'' (1976). In a much later documentary about the series, ''I Claudius: A Television Epic'' (2002), Hurt revealed that he had originally declined the role when it was first offered to him, but that series director [[Herbert Wise]] had invited him to a special pre-production party, hoping Hurt would change his mind, and that he was so impressed by meeting the rest of the cast and crew that he reversed his decision and took the role.<ref name="Foxobit">{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/actor-john-hurt-dead-at-77|title=Actor John Hurt Is Dead At 77|publisher=Fox|access-date=29 April 2017|date=27 January 2017}}</ref>

Hurt appeared in the 1978 film ''[[Midnight Express (film)|Midnight Express]]'', for which he won a [[Golden Globe]] and a BAFTA and was nominated for an [[Academy Award]] for Best Supporting Actor (the latter of which he lost to [[Christopher Walken]] for his performance in ''[[The Deer Hunter]]'').<ref name="Foxobit"/> Around the same time, he lent his voice to [[Ralph Bakshi]]'s animated film adaptation of [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|''Lord of the Rings'']], playing the role of [[Aragorn]]. Hurt voiced [[Hazel (Watership Down)|Hazel]], the heroic rabbit leader of his warren in the film adaptation of ''[[Watership Down (film)|Watership Down]]'' (both 1978) and later played the major villain, [[General Woundwort]], in the [[Watership Down (1999 TV series)|animated television series version]].<ref name="Telegraphobit">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/28/sir-john-hurt-legendary-british-actor-dies-aged-77-battle-pancreatic/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/28/sir-john-hurt-legendary-british-actor-dies-aged-77-battle-pancreatic/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Sir John Hurt, legendary British actor, dies aged 77 after battle with pancreatic cancer|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=28 January 2017|date=28 January 2017|first=Chris|last=Graham}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

His other roles in the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s included [[Executive Officer Kane|Kane]], the first victim of the title creature in the [[Ridley Scott]] directed film ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]'' (1979). He reprised the role as a parody in ''[[Spaceballs]]''. In 1980 he portrayed the deformed [[Joseph Merrick]] in [[David Lynch]]'s biographical drama film ''[[The Elephant Man (1980 film)|The Elephant Man]]'' (1980). Hurt starred alongside [[Anthony Hopkins]], [[John Gielgud]], and [[Anne Bancroft]]. [[Peter Bradshaw]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' praised his performance writing, "John Hurt, in complex and intricate prosthetics, plays Merrick with an unforgettably distinctive, gentle, quavering voice".<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/mar/12/the-elephant-man-review-david-lynch|title= The Elephant Man review – David Lynch's tragic tale of compassion|website= The Guardian|date= 12 March 2020|accessdate= August 1, 2023|last1= Bradshaw|first1= Peter}}</ref> He won another the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]]. He was also nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Actor]] and the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama]].<ref name="IGNobit"/>

That same year he starred in [[Michael Cimino]]'s epic Western ''[[Heaven's Gate (film)|Heaven's Gate]]'' starring [[Kris Kristofferson]], [[Christopher Walken]], and [[Sam Waterston]]. The following year he portrayed [[Jesus Christ]] in the [[Mel Brooks]] comedy film ''[[History of the World, Part I]]'' (1981). Also in 1981 he starred in [[Delbert Mann]]'s thriller ''[[Night Crossing]]'' (1981). He earned the [[Evening Standard British Film Award]] for Best Actor for his performances as [[Bob Champion]] in the sports drama ''[[Champions (1984 film)|Champions]]'' (1984), Mitchell Braddock in the crime thriller ''[[The Hit (1984 film)|The Hit]]'' (1984), and [[Winston Smith (Nineteen Eighty-Four)|Winston Smith]] in ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984 film)|Nineteen Eighty-Four]]'' (1984).  He also played the would-be art school radical Scrawdyke in ''[[Little Malcolm]]'' (1974).

=== 1981–1999 ===
Hurt also had a starring role in [[Sam Peckinpah]]'s critically panned but moderately successful final film, ''[[The Osterman Weekend (film)|The Osterman Weekend]]'' (1983). Also in this period, he starred as the Fool opposite [[Laurence Olivier]]'s King in ''[[King Lear (1983 TV drama)|King Lear]]'' (1983). Hurt also appeared as [[Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov|Raskolnikov]] in a BBC television adaptation of ''[[Crime and Punishment]]'' (1979).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/drama/3664580/Why-Im-so-furious-with-the-BBC.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/drama/3664580/Why-Im-so-furious-with-the-BBC.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Why I'm So Furious with the BBC|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=18 April 2007|access-date=28 January 2017|first=Jasper|last=Rees}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Hurt voiced Snitter in ''[[The Plague Dogs (film)|The Plague Dogs]]'', played  Winston Smith in the [[Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984 film)|film adaptation]] of [[George Orwell]]'s novel ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]'' (1984) and starred in [[Disney]]'s ''[[The Black Cauldron (film)|The Black Cauldron]]'' (1985), voicing the film's main antagonist, the [[Horned King]]. Hurt provided the voiceover for ''[[AIDS: Don't Die of Ignorance|AIDS: Iceberg/Tombstone]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/1210462/index.html |title=BFI Screenonline: AIDS: Iceberg / Tombstone |publisher=Screenonline.org.uk|access-date=26 May 2013}}</ref> a 1986 [[public information film]] warning of the dangers of AIDS, and played the title role, the on-screen narrator, in [[Jim Henson]]'s television series ''[[The Storyteller (TV series)|The StoryTeller]]'' (1988). Hurt appeared in the 1987 [[Bob Clark]]-directed movie ''[[From the Hip (film)|From the Hip]]''.

He had a supporting role as "Bird" O'Donnell in [[Jim Sheridan]]'s film ''[[The Field (1990 film)|The Field]]'' (1990), which garnered him another BAFTA nomination. In this film, Hurt starred alongside [[Richard Harris]] who earned a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Actor]]. In [[King Ralph]] (1991) Hurt played Lord Percival Graves. Hurt portrayed [[James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose]] in the historical drama ''[[Rob Roy (1995 film)|Rob Roy]]'' opposite [[Liam Neeson]], [[Jessica Lange]] and [[Tim Roth]]. That same year he acted in the [[Jim Jarmusch]] directed Western ''[[Dead Man]]'' starring [[Johnny Depp]], and [[Walter Hill]]'s Western ''[[Wild Bill (1995 film)|Wild Bill]]'' (1995) with [[Jeff Bridges]].

In 1997 he starred in [[Richard Kwietniowski]]'s ''[[Love and Death on Long Island]]'' for which he was nominated for the [[BIFA for Best Performance by an Actor in a British Independent Film]]. He was cast as the reclusive tycoon S. R. Hadden in ''[[Contact (1997 American film)|Contact]]'' (1997).<ref name="Telegraphobit"/> During this time, Hurt provided narration on the British musical group [[Art of Noise]]'s concept album ''[[The Seduction of Claude Debussy]]'' and narrated a four-part TV series ''The Universe'' (1999).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1605560/|title=Universe (TV Series 1999) – IMDb|publisher=[[IMDb]]}}</ref>

=== 2000–2017 ===
[[File:Cynthia Nixon John Hurt Swoosie Kurtz 2009 Tribeca.jpg|thumb|left|[[Cynthia Nixon]], Hurt and [[Swoosie Kurtz]] in 2009]]
In the first ''[[Harry Potter (film series)|Harry Potter]]'' film, ''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'' (2001), he played [[List of supporting Harry Potter characters#Garrick Ollivander|Mr Ollivander]], the wand-maker. He returned for the [[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)|adaptation]] of ''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'', though his scenes in that film were cut. He also returned for ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1]]'' and ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2|Part 2]]''. In the 2006 film ''[[V for Vendetta (film)|V for Vendetta]]'', he played the role of [[Adam Sutler]], leader of the [[Norsefire]] fascist dictatorship and in [[Steven Spielberg]]'s ''[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]'' (2008) he appeared as Harold Oxley.<ref>{{cite news|title=IESB First Look: Indy IV Looks Back at the Original Trilogy|publisher=IESB|format=Video|date=1 May 2008|url=http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=227&task=videodirectlink&id=990|access-date=1 May 2008}}</ref>

He voiced the Great Dragon Kilgharrah, who aids the young warlock [[Merlin]] as he protects the future King Arthur, in the BBC television series ''[[Merlin (2008 TV series)|Merlin]]'' (also 2008).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/jul/23/bbc.television|title=Michelle Ryan and John Hurt join all-star cast for BBC1 drama Merlin|work=The Guardian|access-date=28 January 2017|date=23 July 2008|first=Leigh|last=Holmwood}}</ref> In 2011, he narrated the BBC documentary ''[[Planet Dinosaur]]'', a dinosaur-centered documentary completely shown through [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Roe |first=Annabelle Honess |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G-OgQH2pmAoC&q=%22Planet%20Dinosaur%22%20%22John%20Hurt%22 |title=Animated Documentary |date=2013-06-11 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-137-01746-8 |language=en}}</ref>

More than thirty years after ''The Naked Civil Servant'', Hurt reprised the role of Quentin Crisp in the 2009 film ''[[An Englishman in New York (film)|An Englishman in New York]]''. This television film depicts Crisp's later years in New York.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7373997.stm|work=BBC News|title=Actor Hurt to reprise Crisp role|date=29 April 2008|access-date=6 May 2010}}</ref> He returned to Orwell's ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'', playing the on-screen [[Big Brother (Nineteen Eighty-Four)|Big Brother]] for the Paper Zoo Theatre Company's stage adaptation of the novel in June 2009. The theatre production premiered at the [[National Media Museum]], in [[Bradford]] and toured in 2010. Hurt said, "I think Paper Zoo thought it would be quite ironic to have the person who played Winston having risen in the party. From the Chestnut Tree Cafe, he's managed to get his wits together again, now understanding that [[2+2=5|2 and 2 make 5]], and becomes Big Brother. So it tickled my fancy, and of course, I looked up Paper Zoo, and they seem to me to be the sort of company that's essential in the country as we know it, and doing a lot of really good stuff."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apeyo.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/history-of-actor-john-hurts|title=The History of John Hurt|date=3 July 2012|publisher=Apeyo|access-date=28 January 2017}}</ref>
[[File:John Hurt Cannes 2013.JPG |thumb|upright|Hurt at the [[2013 Cannes Film Festival]]]]
At the [[65th British Academy Film Awards]] Hurt won the award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. In 2013, Hurt first appeared in the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episode "[[The Name of the Doctor]]" as an unplaced  incarnation of [[Doctor (Doctor Who)|the Doctor]].<ref name="DarkDoctor"/> His character is named as the [[War Doctor]] in the mini-episode "[[The Night of the Doctor]]"; his character is given focus in the 50th anniversary episode "[[The Day of the Doctor]]",<ref name="DarkDoctor">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/prince-charles/10157321/Doctor-Whos-new-adversary-the-Prince-of-Wales.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/prince-charles/10157321/Doctor-Whos-new-adversary-the-Prince-of-Wales.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Doctor Who's new adversary|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|last=Rayner|first=Gordon |date=3 July 2013|access-date=4 July 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He reprised the role on audio for [[Big Finish Productions]] in a series of audio stories starting from 2015 to 2017, completing twelve episodes over four box sets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bigfinish.com/news/v/doctor-who-the-war-doctor|title=Doctor Who: The War Doctor|work=bigfinish.com|access-date=29 April 2017}}</ref> He also played [[Griffin (The Invisible Man)|the title character]] in an audio drama adaptation of ''[[The Invisible Man]]'' for the company, for which he was nominated for a BBC Audio Drama Award.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bigfinish.com/podcasts/v/the-big-finish-podcast---sir-john-hurt-tribute-february-01|title=The Big Finish Podcast: Sir John Hurt Tribute|work=bigfinish.com|access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2SlTlmGvz1t6wS31SMCtlGm/the-2018-finalists|title=The BBC Audio Drama Awards – 2018 Finalists|work=BBC|access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref>

During [[Terry Gilliam]]'s eighth attempt at making his [[development hell]] project ''[[The Man Who Killed Don Quixote]]'', Hurt was set to star as [[Don Quixote]] alongside [[Adam Driver]]. However, his declining health and eventual death led the project to be cancelled yet again; he was eventually replaced by [[Jonathan Pryce]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/article/john-hurt-says-hell-star-terry-gilliams-don-quixot-209551|title=John Hurt says he'll star in Terry Gilliam's Don Quixote movie, if it ever happens|work=AV Club|date=23 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="Jagernauth">{{cite web|title=Terry Gilliam's 'The Man Who Killed Don Quixote' Delayed Again Due To John Hurt's Cancer Diagnosis|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/terry-gilliams-the-man-who-killed-don-quixote-delayed-again-due-to-john-hurts-cancer-diagnosis-20150922|first=Kevin|last=Jagernauth|work=The Playlist|date=22 September 2015|access-date=6 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151127123832/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/terry-gilliams-the-man-who-killed-don-quixote-delayed-again-due-to-john-hurts-cancer-diagnosis-20150922|archive-date=27 November 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Hurt was due to appear alongside [[Ben Kingsley]] in a film entitled ''Broken Dream'', to be directed by [[Neil Jordan]].<ref name="Broken Dream">{{cite web|url=http://iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4283808&tpl=archnews&force=1|title=Ben Kingsley & John Hurt for Neil Jordan – John Boorman's 'Broken Dream'|publisher=IFTN|access-date=15 April 2011}}</ref> In 2015, Hurt guest stars the voice of [[List of people and animals from Thomas & Friends#Sailor John|Sailor John]], the main antagonist in the ''[[Thomas & Friends]]'' film ''[[Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure]]'' along with [[Eddie Redmayne]] (Ryan) and [[Jamie Campbell Bower]] (Skiff).<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/features/eddie-redmayne-john-hurt-board-thomas-feature/|title=Eddie Redmayne, John Hurt Board 'Thomas' Feature|magazine=[[Animation Magazine]]|access-date=7 August 2017}}</ref> At the time of his death he had completed filming ''[[That Good Night (film)|That Good Night]]'', in which he played a terminally ill writer.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-11-02 |title='That Good Night': A charismatic performance caps career of the great John Hurt |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2020/11/2/21544513/that-good-night-review-john-hurt-movie-final-performance-last-charles-dance-film |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=Chicago Sun-Times |language=en}}</ref> Hurt was initially cast as [[Neville Chamberlain]] in ''[[Darkest Hour (film)|Darkest Hour]]''. However, according to [[Gary Oldman]], Hurt was undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer, and dropped the role in pre-production; actor [[Ronald Pickup]] assumed the role of Chamberlain instead.<ref>{{cite web|title=John Hurt won't appear in Darkest Hour, what was thought to be his final film|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/news/a828492/john-hurt-not-in-darkest-hour-final-film/|date=16 May 2017|work=Digital Spy|access-date=20 May 2017}}</ref>