Acting
John Hurt
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.
Filmography
Doctor Who: Wish World & The Reality War
Film · 2025
Henry Fonda for President
Film · 2025
Doctor Who at the Proms
Film · 2024
Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony
Film · 2021
Ayamé
Film · 2018
Damascus Cover
Film · 2017
The Journey
Film · 2017
That Good Night
Film · 2017
My Name Is Lenny
Film · 2017
Jackie
Film · 2016
ChickLit
Film · 2016
The Pity of War: The Loves and Lives of the War Poets
Film · 2016
The Final Reel
Film · 2016
Back to Utopia
Film · 2016
Dmitri Shostakovich: A Man of Many Faces
Film · 2015
The Alchemist's Letter
Film · 2015
A.K.A Nadia
Film · 2015
Thomas & Friends: Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure: The Movie
Film · 2015
Break
Film · 2015
Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song
Film · 2015
The Last Panthers
Series · 2015
Hercules
Film · 2014
Wimbledon The Official Film 2014
Film · 2014
Richard Attenborough: A Life in Film
Film · 2014
Doctor Who Live: The Afterparty
Film · 2013
Jayne Mansfield's Car
Film · 2013
Snowpiercer
Film · 2013
Only Lovers Left Alive
Film · 2013
Benjamin Britten: Peace and Conflict
Film · 2013
Muse of Fire
Film · 2013
The Day of the Doctor: Cinema Intro
Film · 2013
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor
Film · 2013
Doctor Who: The Night of the Doctor
Film · 2013
Hello: A Portrait Of Leslie Phillips
Film · 2013
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot
Film · 2013
Swan Lake 3D - Live from the Mariinsky Theatre
Film · 2013
Doctor Who at the Proms
Film · 2013
Planet Dinosaur: Ultimate Killers
Film · 2012
Sightseers
Film · 2012
The Snipist
Film · 2012
More Than Honey
Film · 2012
Labyrinth
Series · 2012
The Hollow Crown
Series · 2012
Playhouse Presents
Series · 2012
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Film · 2011
Melancholia
Film · 2011
Immortals
Film · 2011
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Film · 2011
The Gruffalo's Child
Film · 2011
Sailcloth
Film · 2011
The Confession
Film · 2011
On Borrowed Time
Film · 2011
23 Degrees, 5 Minutes
Film · 2011
The Journey – Stories from the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
Film · 2011
In Love with Alma Cogan
Film · 2011
Human Planet
Series · 2011
The Confession
Series · 2011
Planet Dinosaur
Series · 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Film · 2010
Brighton Rock
Film · 2010
Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie
Film · 2010
Lou
Film · 2010
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Film · 2010
Whistle and I'll Come to You
Film · 2010
A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures
Film · 2010
Behind Jim Jarmusch
Film · 2010
Love at First Sight
Film · 2010
The Limits of Control
Film · 2009
The Gruffalo
Film · 2009
An Englishman in New York
Film · 2009
44 Inch Chest
Film · 2009
Making History: Mel Brooks on Creating the World
Film · 2009
Remembrance
Film · 2009
Ballybrando
Film · 2009
Centenary: The BP Story
Film · 2009
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Film · 2008
Outlander
Film · 2008
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Film · 2008
The Oxford Murders
Film · 2008
Recount
Film · 2008
Lecture 21
Film · 2008
New York, I Love You
Film · 2008
Verity Lambert: Drama Queen
Film · 2008
Merlin
Series · 2008
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
Film · 2007
Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron
Film · 2007
Boxes
Film · 2007
Interview with John Hurt
Film · 2007
Masters of Science Fiction
Series · 2007
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Film · 2006
V for Vendetta
Film · 2006
Shooting Dogs
Film · 2006
The Plot Against Harold Wilson
Film · 2006
Whaledreamers
Film · 2006
V for Vendetta: Unmasked
Film · 2006
Manderlay
Film · 2005
The Skeleton Key
Film · 2005
Valiant
Film · 2005
Once Upon a Halloween
Film · 2005
The Proposition
Film · 2005
Hiroshima
Film · 2005
Short Order
Film · 2005
Doctor Who
Series · 2005
Hiroshima: The First Weapon of Mass Destruction
Series · 2005
Hellboy
Film · 2004
Hellboy: The Seeds of Creation
Film · 2004
Shadowing the Third Man
Film · 2004
Pride
Film · 2004
Alpha to Omega: Exposing 'The Osterman Weekend'
Film · 2004
The Alan Clark Diaries
Series · 2004
Who Do You Think You Are?
Series · 2004
Owning Mahowny
Film · 2003
The Beast Within: Making Alien
Film · 2003
Meeting Che Guevara & the Man from Maybury Hill
Film · 2003
Dogville
Film · 2003
Check the Gate: Putting Beckett on Film
Film · 2003
The Alien Saga
Film · 2002
Miranda
Film · 2002
Crime and Punishment
Film · 2002
Bait
Film · 2002
I, Claudius: A Television Epic
Film · 2002
The Twilight Hour: Visions of Ireland's Haunted Past
Film · 2002
HypaSpace
Series · 2002
Edge of the Universe
Series · 2002
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Film · 2001
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Film · 2001
Shaolin: Wheel of Life
Film · 2001
The Hidden Wars of Desert Storm
Film · 2001
Tabloid
Film · 2001
The Terrible Elephant Man Revealed
Film · 2001
Krapp's Last Tape
Film · 2000
Lost Souls
Film · 2000
The Tigger Movie
Film · 2000
You're Dead...
Film · 1999
All the Little Animals
Film · 1999
New Blood
Film · 1999
If... Dog... Rabbit
Film · 1999
Watership Down
Series · 1999
The Commissioner
Film · 1998
Love and Death on Long Island
Film · 1998
The Climb
Film · 1998
Night Train
Film · 1998
Parkinson
Series · 1998
Brute
Film · 1997
Contact
Film · 1997
Tender Loving Care
Film · 1996
Dead Man
Film · 1995
Rob Roy
Film · 1995
Wild Bill
Film · 1995
On Jupiter
Film · 1995
Saigon Baby
Film · 1995
Picture Windows: Two Nudes Bathing
Film · 1995
Picture Windows
Series · 1995
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
Film · 1994
Second Best
Film · 1994
Great Moments in Aviation
Film · 1994
Thumbelina
Film · 1994
The World of Jim Henson
Film · 1994
Rabbit Ears - Aladdin and the Magic Lamp
Film · 1994
Inside the Actors Studio
Series · 1994
Monolith
Film · 1993
GMTV
Series · 1993
Dark at Noon
Film · 1992
Six Characters in Search of An Author
Film · 1992
King Ralph
Film · 1991
Red Fox
Film · 1991
Journey to Knock
Film · 1991
I Dreamt I Woke Up
Film · 1991
Lapse of Memory
Film · 1991
Performance
Series · 1991
Frankenstein Unbound
Film · 1990
The Field
Film · 1990
Windprints
Film · 1990
Resident Alien
Film · 1990
Who Bombed Birmingham?
Film · 1990
Jonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only: David Lynch
Film · 1990
Paul McCartney: From Rio to Liverpool
Film · 1990
Romeo.Juliet
Film · 1990
Scandal
Film · 1989
Poison Candy
Film · 1989
David Macaulay: Pyramid
Film · 1989
The Jim Henson Hour
Series · 1989
Deadline
Film · 1988
The Bengali Night
Film · 1988
The Storyteller: Hans My Hedgehog
Film · 1988
The Storyteller: Fearnot
Film · 1988
The Storyteller: A Story Short
Film · 1988
The Storyteller: The Luck Child
Film · 1988
The Storyteller: Sapsorrow
Film · 1988
The Storyteller: The True Bride
Film · 1988
A Dinner of Herbs
Film · 1988
The Storyteller: The Three Ravens
Film · 1988
The Storyteller
Series · 1988
Spaceballs
Film · 1987
From the Hip
Film · 1987
Aria
Film · 1987
White Mischief
Film · 1987
The Hunting of the Snark
Film · 1987
Vincent
Film · 1987
Monolith
Film · 1987
Iceberg
Film · 1987
Frightmares
Film · 1987
Jake Speed
Film · 1986
Rocinante
Film · 1986
Thames Film
Film · 1986
ScreenPlay
Series · 1986
After Darkness
Film · 1985
The Black Cauldron
Film · 1985
The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima
Film · 1985
Live Aid
Film · 1985
Screen Two
Series · 1985
Screen Two
Series · 1985
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Film · 1984
The Hit
Film · 1984
Champions
Film · 1984
Success Is the Best Revenge
Film · 1984
Sunset People
Film · 1984
The Osterman Weekend
Film · 1983
King Lear
Film · 1983
Natural World
Series · 1983
The Plague Dogs
Film · 1982
Partners
Film · 1982
Night Crossing
Film · 1982
Paul McCartney - Take It Away
Film · 1982
History of the World: Part I
Film · 1981
The Elephant Man
Film · 1980
Heaven's Gate
Film · 1980
An Evening with Quentin Crisp
Film · 1980
Alien
Film · 1979
Crime and Punishment
Series · 1979
The Lord of the Rings
Film · 1978
Watership Down
Film · 1978
Midnight Express
Film · 1978
The Shout
Film · 1978
East of Elephant Rock
Film · 1977
The Disappearance
Film · 1977
Three Dangerous Ladies
Film · 1977
Spectre
Film · 1977
The Hollywood Greats
Series · 1977
The Sunday Drama
Series · 1977
Stream Line
Film · 1976
The Peddler
Film · 1976
The Island
Film · 1976
I, Claudius
Series · 1976
The Naked Civil Servant
Film · 1975
The Ghoul
Film · 1975
The Sweeney
Series · 1975
Saturday Night Live
Series · 1975
Shades of Greene
Series · 1975
Ten from the Twenties
Series · 1975
Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs
Film · 1974
The Playboy of the Western World
Film · 1974
NOVA
Series · 1974
Wessex Tales
Series · 1973
The Pied Piper
Film · 1972
10 Rillington Place
Film · 1971
Mr. Forbush and the Penguins
Film · 1971
Green Julia
Film · 1971
A Ghost Story for Christmas
Series · 1971
Great Performances
Series · 1971
Film '72
Series · 1971
Play for Today
Series · 1970
Sinful Davey
Film · 1969
Before Winter Comes
Film · 1969
In Search of Gregory
Film · 1969
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
Series · 1969
The Sailor from Gibraltar
Film · 1967
ITV Playhouse
Series · 1967
A Man for All Seasons
Film · 1966
NET Playhouse
Series · 1966
Gideon's Way
Series · 1965
This Is My Street
Film · 1964
Thursday Theatre
Series · 1964
First Night
Series · 1963
The Wild and the Willing
Film · 1962
Drama 61-67
Series · 1961
Drama 61-67
Series · 1961
Armchair Theatre
Series · 1956
Golden Globe Awards
Series · 1944