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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
January 22, 1940
Died
January 25, 2017
Place of Birth
Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, UK
Also Known As
- John Vincent Hurt
- Sir John Hurt
- Σερ Τζον Βίνσεντ Χερτ
- 约翰·赫特
- 約翰·赫特
- Джон Херт
- جان هرت
John Hurt
3.5 Popularity
Biography
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
5.3
The Doctor (archive footage) (uncredited)
Doctor Who: Wish World & The Reality War
2025
7.2
The Doctor (War) (archive footage)
Doctor Who at the Proms
2024
4.5
Self (archive footage)
Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony
2021
0.0
Narrator (voice)
Ayamé
2018
5.6
Miki
Damascus Cover
2017
6.9
Ralph
That Good Night
2017
5.7
Leslie Salmon
My Name Is Lenny
2017
6.3
Harry Patterson
The Journey
2017
6.5
The Priest
Jackie
2016
🎬
0.0
Siegfried Sassoon
The Pity of War: The Loves and Lives of the War Poets
2016
Credits
Doctor Who: Wish World & The Reality War
as The Doctor (archive footage) (uncredited)
2025
5.3
Doctor Who at the Proms
as The Doctor (War) (archive footage)
2024
7.2
Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony
as Self (archive footage)
2021
4.5
Ayamé
as Narrator (voice)
2018
0.0
Damascus Cover
as Miki
2017
5.6
That Good Night
as Ralph
2017
6.9
My Name Is Lenny
as Leslie Salmon
2017
5.7
The Journey
as Harry Patterson
2017
6.3
Jackie
as The Priest
2016
6.5
🎬
The Pity of War: The Loves and Lives of the War Poets
as Siegfried Sassoon
2016
0.0
Back to Utopia
as Professor Peter Panludic (voice)
2016
0.0
The Final Reel
as Self - Narrator (voice)
2016
6.0
ChickLit
as Francis Bonar
2016
5.4
Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song
as The Doctor (War) (picture) (uncredited)
2015
8.0
The Last Panthers
as Tom
2015
5.8
Thomas & Friends: Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure: The Movie
as Sailor John (voice)
2015
6.2
A.K.A Nadia
as 347
2015
7.7
Break
as Jack
2015
7.5
The Alchemist's Letter
as The Alchemist (voice)
2015
6.8
Dmitri Shostakovich: A Man of Many Faces
as Narator
2015
0.0
Wimbledon The Official Film 2014
as Narrator
2014
10.0
Richard Attenborough: A Life in Film
as Self
2014
4.8
Hercules
as Cotys
2014
5.8
Only Lovers Left Alive
as Christopher Marlowe
2013
7.2
Doctor Who Live: The Afterparty
as Self
2013
9.0
The Day of the Doctor: Cinema Intro
as The War Doctor
2013
0.0
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot
as The War Doctor (archive voice)
2013
7.8
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor
as The War Doctor
2013
8.2
Doctor Who: The Night of the Doctor
as The War Doctor
2013
8.0
Hello: A Portrait Of Leslie Phillips
as Self / Stephen Ward
2013
8.3
Muse of Fire
as Self
2013
6.5
Snowpiercer
as Gilliam
2013
6.9
Jayne Mansfield's Car
as Kingsley Bedford
2013
5.7
Swan Lake 3D - Live from the Mariinsky Theatre
as The Voice of the Winter Palace / Self
2013
0.0
Benjamin Britten: Peace and Conflict
as Narrator (voice)
2013
5.5
Sightseers
as Jerusalem Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
2012
6.3
Labyrinth
as Audric Baillard
2012
5.4
Planet Dinosaur: Ultimate Killers
as Narrator (voice)
2012
8.1
More Than Honey
as Narrator (english voice)
2012
7.2
The Hollow Crown
as The Chorus
2012
7.4
The Snipist
as The Ministry
2012
9.0
The Gruffalo's Child
as The Owl (voice)
2011
6.9
Immortals
as Old Zeus
2011
6.0
On Borrowed Time
as Self
2011
5.3
In Love with Alma Cogan
as MC
2011
7.0
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
as Control
2011
6.6
Planet Dinosaur
as Narrator
2011
8.2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
as Ollivander
2011
8.1
23 Degrees, 5 Minutes
as Professor Orit
2011
5.5
The Journey – Stories from the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
as Narrator
2011
0.0
Melancholia
as Dexter
2011
7.2
The Confession
as Priest
2011
6.7
The Confession
as Priest
2011
7.3
Human Planet
as Narrator (voice)
2011
8.3
Sailcloth
as Man
2011
9.0
Whistle and I'll Come to You
as James Parkin
2010
5.7
Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie
as Carnak
2010
5.8
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
as Ollivander
2010
7.7
Love at First Sight
as Arthur
2010
7.9
Brighton Rock
as Phil Corkery
2010
5.7
🎬
Behind Jim Jarmusch
as Self
2010
0.0
A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures
as Grandpa Sammy (voice)
2010
6.0
Lou
as Doyle
2010
6.7
The Gruffalo
as Owl (voice)
2009
7.3
Making History: Mel Brooks on Creating the World
as Self (archive footage)
2009
0.0
Ballybrando
as Self
2009
10.0
44 Inch Chest
as Old Man Peanut
2009
5.4
🎬
Remembrance
as Bellhop
2009
0.0
Waking Sleeping Beauty
as The Horned King (voice) (archive footage)
2009
7.2
The Limits of Control
as Guitar
2009
6.0
An Englishman in New York
as Quentin Crisp
2009
6.3
Centenary: The BP Story
as Narrator (voice)
2009
0.0
Lecture 21
as Mondrian Kilroy
2008
6.3
Merlin
as Kilgharrah (voice)
2008
7.8
New York, I Love You
as Bellhop
2008
5.9
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
as Trevor Bruttenholm
2008
6.8
Recount
as Warren Christopher
2008
6.8
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
as Professor Harold Oxley
2008
6.0
Outlander
as Rothgar
2008
6.4
Verity Lambert: Drama Queen
2008
0.0
The Oxford Murders
as Arthur Seldom
2008
6.0
Masters of Science Fiction
as Samswope
2007
6.2
Boxes
as Fanny's father
2007
5.3
Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron
as Professor Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm (voice)
2007
6.3
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
as Self
2007
0.0
Interview with John Hurt
as Self
2007
9.0
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
as Narrator (voice)
2006
7.4
Whaledreamers
as Self
2006
5.8
The Plot Against Harold Wilson
as Narrator (voice)
2006
0.0
Shooting Dogs
as Christopher
2006
7.5
V for Vendetta
as Adam Sutler
2006
7.9
The Proposition
as Jellon Lamb
2005
7.0
Once Upon a Halloween
as The Horned King (voice) (archive sound)
2005
6.2
Hiroshima
as Narrator (voice)
2005
7.2
The Skeleton Key
as Ben Devereaux
2005
6.6
Manderlay
as Narrator (voice)
2005
6.9
🎬
Hiroshima: The First Weapon of Mass Destruction
as Narrator
2005
0.0
Doctor Who
as The Doctor
2005
7.6
Valiant
as Felix (voice)
2005
5.6
Short Order
2005
4.4
Who Do You Think You Are?
as Self
2004
6.7
Shadowing the Third Man
as Narrator (voice)
2004
6.1
Hellboy: The Seeds of Creation
as Self
2004
7.2
Pride
as Harry (voice)
2004
6.2
Hellboy
as Prof. Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm
2004
6.7
Alpha to Omega: Exposing 'The Osterman Weekend'
as Self
2004
7.0
The Alan Clark Diaries
as Alan Clark
2004
6.5
The Beast Within: Making Alien
as Self
2003
8.2
Dogville
as Narrator (voice)
2003
7.8
Meeting Che Guevara & the Man from Maybury Hill
as Man from Maybury Hill
2003
7.0
Owning Mahowny
as Victor Foss
2003
6.7
The Alien Saga
as Narrator (voice)
2002
6.6
🎬
The Twilight Hour: Visions of Ireland's Haunted Past
as Self
2002
0.0
I, Claudius: A Television Epic
as Self
2002
7.0
Crime and Punishment
as Porfiry, chief investigator
2002
5.0
🎬
HypaSpace
as Self
2002
4.0
Bait
as Jack Blake
2002
7.0
Miranda
as Christian
2002
5.3
Edge of the Universe
as Narrator (voice)
2002
0.0
Shaolin: Wheel of Life
as Narrator (voice)
2001
7.0
The Terrible Elephant Man Revealed
as Self
2001
6.5
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
as Mr. Ollivander
2001
7.9
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
as Dr. Iannis
2001
6.0
The Hidden Wars of Desert Storm
as Narrator (voice)
2001
7.5
Tabloid
as Vince
2001
4.0
Lost Souls
as Father Lareaux
2000
5.0
Krapp's Last Tape
as Krapp
2000
7.4
The Tigger Movie
as Narrator (voice)
2000
6.6
New Blood
as Alan White
1999
5.2
You're Dead...
as Maitland
1999
6.4
If... Dog... Rabbit
as Sean Cooper
1999
3.9
Watership Down
as General Woundwort (voice)
1999
7.2
All the Little Animals
as Mr. Summers
1999
6.0
Love and Death on Long Island
as Giles De'Ath
1998
6.3
The Climb
as Chuck Langer
1998
6.9
The Commissioner
as James morton
1998
5.7
Parkinson
as Self
1998
0.0
Night Train
as Michael Poole
1998
7.0
Brute
as Babits
1997
5.7
Contact
as S. R. Hadden
1997
7.4
Tender Loving Care
as Dr. Turner
1996
2.0
Dead Man
as John Scholfield
1995
7.3
🎬
Saigon Baby
as Jack Lee
1995
0.0
Wild Bill
as Charley Prince
1995
5.7
Picture Windows
as Marquis de Prey
1995
0.0
🎬
On Jupiter
as Narrator (voice)
1995
0.0
Rob Roy
as John Graham
1995
6.7
Picture Windows: Two Nudes Bathing
as Marquis de Prey
1995
2.0
The World of Jim Henson
as The Storyteller (archive footage)
1994
7.3
Second Best
as Uncle Turpin
1994
6.7
Rabbit Ears - Aladdin and the Magic Lamp
as Narrator (voice)
1994
0.0
Inside the Actors Studio
as Self
1994
7.5
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
as The Countess
1994
4.4
Great Moments in Aviation
as Rex Goodyear
1994
4.6
Thumbelina
as Mr. Mole (voice)
1994
6.4
Monolith
as Villano
1993
4.4
GMTV
as Self
1993
5.6
Six Characters in Search of An Author
as The Father
1992
5.5
Dark at Noon
as Anthony / Le Marquis
1992
6.4
Red Fox
as Archie Carpenter
1991
5.0
I Dreamt I Woke Up
as Boorman's Alter Ego
1991
6.0
Performance
as The Father
1991
6.0
🎬
Journey to Knock
as Alfred
1991
0.0
Lapse of Memory
as Conrad Farmer
1991
6.5
King Ralph
as Lord Percival Graves
1991
5.4
Paul McCartney: From Rio to Liverpool
as Narrator (voice)
1990
0.0
Frankenstein Unbound
as Dr. Joe Buchanan / Narrator (voice)
1990
5.7
Jonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only: David Lynch
as Self
1990
5.0
The Field
as Bird' O'Donnell
1990
7.0
Resident Alien
as Self - Actor
1990
4.7
Windprints
as Charles Rutherford
1990
6.1
Who Bombed Birmingham?
as Chris Mullin
1990
7.0
Romeo.Juliet
as La Dame aux Chats / Mercutio (voice)
1990
5.0
Poison Candy
as Robert Burger
1989
4.8
The Jim Henson Hour
1989
8.8
Scandal
as Stephen Ward
1989
5.9
David Macaulay: Pyramid
as Khufu / Second French Explorer (voice)
1989
0.0
The Bengali Night
as Lucien Metz
1988
5.8
The Storyteller
as The Storyteller
1988
8.2
Deadline
as Granville Jones
1988
5.8
White Mischief
as Gilbert Colville
1987
6.0
Vincent
as (voice)
1987
6.4
Spaceballs
as John Hurt
1987
6.9
Aria
as The Actor
1987
5.3
🎬
The Hunting of the Snark
as The Narrator (voice)
1987
8.0
From the Hip
as Douglas Benoit
1987
5.8
Monolith
as Narrator (voice)
1987
0.0
Iceberg
as Narrator (voice)
1987
0.0
🎬
Frightmares
1987
0.0
🎬
Rocinante
as Bill
1986
0.0
Thames Film
1986
0.0
Jake Speed
as Syd
1986
4.4
The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima
as Narrator (voice)
1985
3.5
The Black Cauldron
as The Horned King (voice)
1985
6.4
Live Aid
as Self
1985
7.9
After Darkness
as Peter Hunningford
1985
4.1
Nineteen Eighty-Four
as Winston Smith
1984
6.8
The Hit
as Braddock
1984
6.4
Success Is the Best Revenge
as Dino Montecurva
1984
6.0
Champions
as Bob Champion
1984
6.6
Sunset People
as Self
1984
0.0
Natural World
as Narrator
1983
7.1
The Osterman Weekend
as Lawrence Fassett
1983
5.6
King Lear
as The Fool
1983
6.5
The Plague Dogs
as Snitter (voice)
1982
7.9
🎬
Paul McCartney - Take It Away
1982
0.0
Partners
as Kerwin
1982
5.3
Night Crossing
as Peter Strelzyk
1982
6.1
History of the World: Part I
as Jesus - The Roman Empire
1981
6.8
Heaven's Gate
as Billy Irvine
1980
6.7
The Elephant Man
as John Merrick
1980
8.1
🎬
An Evening with Quentin Crisp
as Host
1980
10.0
Alien
as Kane
1979
8.2
Crime and Punishment
as Raskolnikov
1979
7.3
The Lord of the Rings
as Aragorn (voice)
1978
6.6
Watership Down
as Hazel (voice)
1978
7.2
Midnight Express
as Max
1978
7.5
The Shout
as Anthony Fielding
1978
6.0
The Disappearance
as Atkinson
1977
5.4
East of Elephant Rock
as Nash
1977
3.7
The Hollywood Greats
1977
3.5
Three Dangerous Ladies
as Lt. George Simmonds
1977
5.0
Spectre
as Mitri Cyon
1977
5.9
I, Claudius
as Caligula
1976
7.8
Stream Line
as Chandler
1976
0.0
The Peddler
as Alec Cassell
1976
0.0
The Naked Civil Servant
as Quentin Crisp
1975
6.6
The Ghoul
as Tom Rawlings
1975
4.9
The Sweeney
as Tony Grey
1975
7.8
Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs
as Malcolm Scrawdyke
1974
6.1
NOVA
as Narrator
1974
7.0
🎬
The Playboy of the Western World
as Christopher Mahon (Christy Mahon)
1974
0.0
Wessex Tales
as Joshua Harlborough
1973
6.0
The Pied Piper
as Franz
1972
5.9
A Ghost Story for Christmas
as James Parkin
1971
7.4
🎬
Green Julia
as Bob
1971
0.0
Mr. Forbush and the Penguins
as Richard Forbush
1971
4.6
10 Rillington Place
as Timothy Evans
1971
7.3
Great Performances
as Narrator
1971
5.8
Play for Today
as Alec Cassell
1970
6.3
In Search of Gregory
as Daniel
1969
4.4
Sinful Davey
as Davey Haggart
1969
5.1
Before Winter Comes
as Lieutenant Pilkington
1969
5.9
The Sailor from Gibraltar
as John
1967
5.7
A Man for All Seasons
as Richard Rich
1966
7.3
Gideon's Way
as Freddy Tisdale
1965
6.8
This Is My Street
as Charlie
1964
5.6
The Wild and the Willing
as Phil Corbett
1962
5.8
Armchair Theatre
as Joe
1956
5.8
Golden Globe Awards
as Self - Nominee
1944
7.2