John Hurt
Acting
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.
TV Shows(39)
The Last Panthers
Tom
2015
Labyrinth
Audric Baillard
2012
The Hollow Crown
The Chorus
2012
Playhouse Presents
The Ministry (voice)
2012
Planet Dinosaur
Narrator
2011
The Confession
Priest
2011
Human Planet
Narrator (voice)
2011
Merlin
Kilgharrah (voice)
2008
Masters of Science Fiction
Samswope
2007
Hiroshima: The First Weapon of Mass Destruction
Narrator
2005
Doctor Who
The Doctor
2005
Who Do You Think You Are?
Self
2004
The Alan Clark Diaries
Alan Clark
2004
HypaSpace
Self
2002
Edge of the Universe
Narrator (voice)
2002
Watership Down
General Woundwort (voice)
1999
Parkinson
Self
1998
Picture Windows
Marquis de Prey
1995
GMTV
Self
1993
Performance
The Father
1991
The Jim Henson Hour
1989
The Storyteller
The Storyteller
1988
Natural World
Narrator
1983
Crime and Punishment
Rodion Raskolnikov
1979
The Hollywood Greats
1977
The Sunday Drama
Dave
1977
I, Claudius
Caligula
1976
Saturday Night Live
March Hare
1975
The Sweeney
Tony Grey
1975
NOVA
Narrator
1974
Wessex Tales
Joshua Harlborough
1973
A Ghost Story for Christmas
James Parkin
1971
Great Performances
Narrator
1971
Play for Today
Alec Cassell
1970
ITV Playhouse
Guy Beresford
1967
Gideon's Way
Freddy Tisdale
1965
Drama 61-67
Private Briggs
1961
Armchair Theatre
Joe
1956
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee
1944
Movies(226)
Doctor Who: Wish World & The Reality War
The Doctor (archive footage) (uncredited)
2025
Henry Fonda for President
Self (archive footage)
2025
Doctor Who at the Proms
The Doctor (War) (archive footage)
2024
Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony
Self (archive footage)
2021
Ayamé
Narrator (voice)
2018
Damascus Cover
Miki
2017
That Good Night
Ralph
2017
My Name Is Lenny
Leslie Salmon
2017
The Journey
Harry Patterson
2017
Jackie
The Priest
2016
The Pity of War: The Loves and Lives of the War Poets
Siegfried Sassoon
2016
Back to Utopia
Professor Peter Panludic (voice)
2016
The Final Reel
Self - Narrator (voice)
2016
ChickLit
Francis Bonar
2016
Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song
The Doctor (War) (picture) (uncredited)
2015
Thomas & Friends: Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure: The Movie
Sailor John (voice)
2015
A.K.A Nadia
347
2015
Break
Jack
2015
The Alchemist's Letter
The Alchemist (voice)
2015
Dmitri Shostakovich: A Man of Many Faces
Narator
2015
Wimbledon The Official Film 2014
Narrator
2014
Richard Attenborough: A Life in Film
Self
2014
Hercules
Cotys
2014
Only Lovers Left Alive
Christopher Marlowe
2013
Doctor Who Live: The Afterparty
Self
2013
The Day of the Doctor: Cinema Intro
The War Doctor
2013
Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor
The War Doctor
2013
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot
The War Doctor (archive voice)
2013
Doctor Who: The Night of the Doctor
The War Doctor
2013
Hello: A Portrait Of Leslie Phillips
Self / Stephen Ward
2013
Muse of Fire
Self
2013
Snowpiercer
Gilliam
2013
Jayne Mansfield's Car
Kingsley Bedford
2013
Swan Lake 3D - Live from the Mariinsky Theatre
The Voice of the Winter Palace / Self
2013
Benjamin Britten: Peace and Conflict
Narrator (voice)
2013
Sightseers
Jerusalem Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
2012
Planet Dinosaur: Ultimate Killers
Narrator (voice)
2012
More Than Honey
Narrator (english voice)
2012
The Snipist
The Ministry
2012
The Gruffalo's Child
The Owl (voice)
2011
Immortals
Old Zeus
2011
On Borrowed Time
Self
2011
In Love with Alma Cogan
MC
2011
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Control
2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Ollivander
2011
23 Degrees, 5 Minutes
Professor Orit
2011
The Journey – Stories from the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
Narrator
2011
Melancholia
Dexter
2011
The Confession
Priest
2011
Sailcloth
Man
2011
Whistle and I'll Come to You
James Parkin
2010
Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie
Carnak
2010
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Ollivander
2010
Love at First Sight
Arthur
2010
Brighton Rock
Phil Corkery
2010
Behind Jim Jarmusch
Self
2010
A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures
Grandpa Sammy (voice)
2010
Lou
Doyle
2010
The Gruffalo
Owl (voice)
2009
Making History: Mel Brooks on Creating the World
Self (archive footage)
2009
Ballybrando
Self
2009
44 Inch Chest
Old Man Peanut
2009
Remembrance
Bellhop
2009
Waking Sleeping Beauty
The Horned King (voice) (archive footage)
2009
The Limits of Control
Guitar
2009
An Englishman in New York
Quentin Crisp
2009
Centenary: The BP Story
Narrator (voice)
2009
Lecture 21
Mondrian Kilroy
2008
New York, I Love You
Bellhop
2008
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Trevor Bruttenholm
2008
Recount
Warren Christopher
2008
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Professor Harold Oxley
2008
Outlander
Rothgar
2008
Verity Lambert: Drama Queen
2008
The Oxford Murders
Arthur Seldom
2008
Boxes
Fanny's father
2007
Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron
Professor Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm (voice)
2007
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
Self
2007
Interview with John Hurt
Self
2007
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Narrator (voice)
2006
Whaledreamers
Self
2006
The Plot Against Harold Wilson
Narrator (voice)
2006
'V for Vendetta' Unmasked
Adam Sutler
2006
Shooting Dogs
Christopher
2006
V for Vendetta
Adam Sutler
2006
The Proposition
Jellon Lamb
2005
Once Upon a Halloween
The Horned King (voice) (archive sound)
2005
Hiroshima
Narrator (voice)
2005
The Skeleton Key
Ben Devereaux
2005
Manderlay
Narrator (voice)
2005
Valiant
Felix (voice)
2005
Short Order
Felix
2005
Shadowing the Third Man
Narrator (voice)
2004
Hellboy: The Seeds of Creation
Self
2004
Pride
Harry (voice)
2004
Hellboy
Prof. Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm
2004
Alpha to Omega: Exposing 'The Osterman Weekend'
Self
2004
The Beast Within: Making Alien
Self
2003
Dogville
Narrator (voice)
2003
Meeting Che Guevara & the Man from Maybury Hill
Man from Maybury Hill
2003
Owning Mahowny
Victor Foss
2003
Check the Gate: Putting Beckett on Film
Self / Self - Krapp ("Krapp's Last Tape")
2003
The Alien Saga
Narrator (voice)
2002
The Twilight Hour: Visions of Ireland's Haunted Past
Self
2002
I, Claudius: A Television Epic
Self
2002
Crime and Punishment
Porfiry, chief investigator
2002
Bait
Jack Blake
2002
Miranda
Christian
2002
Shaolin: Wheel of Life
Narrator (voice)
2001
The Terrible Elephant Man Revealed
Self
2001
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Mr. Ollivander
2001
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Dr. Iannis
2001
The Hidden Wars of Desert Storm
Narrator (voice)
2001
Tabloid
Vince
2001
Lost Souls
Father Lareaux
2000
Krapp's Last Tape
Krapp
2000
The Tigger Movie
Narrator (voice)
2000
New Blood
Alan White
1999
You're Dead...
Maitland
1999
If... Dog... Rabbit
Sean Cooper
1999
All the Little Animals
Mr. Summers
1999
Love and Death on Long Island
Giles De'Ath
1998
The Climb
Chuck Langer
1998
The Commissioner
James morton
1998
Night Train
Michael Poole
1998
Brute
Babits
1997
Contact
S. R. Hadden
1997
Tender Loving Care
Dr. Turner
1996
Dead Man
John Scholfield
1995
Saigon Baby
Jack Lee
1995
Wild Bill
Charley Prince
1995
On Jupiter
Narrator (voice)
1995
Rob Roy
John Graham
1995
Picture Windows: Two Nudes Bathing
Marquis de Prey
1995
The World of Jim Henson
The Storyteller (archive footage)
1994
Second Best
Uncle Turpin
1994
Rabbit Ears - Aladdin and the Magic Lamp
Narrator (voice)
1994
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
The Countess
1994
Great Moments in Aviation
Rex Goodyear
1994
Thumbelina
Mr. Mole (voice)
1994
Monolith
Villano
1993
Six Characters in Search of An Author
The Father
1992
Dark at Noon
Anthony / Le Marquis
1992
Red Fox
Archie Carpenter
1991
I Dreamt I Woke Up
Boorman's Alter Ego
1991
Journey to Knock
Alfred
1991
Lapse of Memory
Conrad Farmer
1991
King Ralph
Lord Percival Graves
1991
Paul McCartney: From Rio to Liverpool
Narrator (voice)
1990
Frankenstein Unbound
Dr. Joe Buchanan / Narrator (voice)
1990
Jonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only: David Lynch
Self
1990
The Field
Bird' O'Donnell
1990
Resident Alien
Self - Actor
1990
Windprints
Charles Rutherford
1990
Who Bombed Birmingham?
Chris Mullin
1990
Romeo.Juliet
La Dame aux Chats / Mercutio (voice)
1990
Poison Candy
Robert Burger
1989
Scandal
Stephen Ward
1989
David Macaulay: Pyramid
Khufu / Second French Explorer (voice)
1989
The Bengali Night
Lucien Metz
1988
The Storyteller: The True Bride
The Storyteller
1988
The Storyteller: The Heartless Giant
The Storyteller
1988
The Storyteller: Hans My Hedgehog
The Storyteller
1988
The Storyteller: A Story Short
The Storyteller
1988
The Storyteller: The Luck Child
The Storyteller
1988
The Storyteller: Fearnot
The Storyteller
1988
The Storyteller: The Soldier and Death
The Storyteller
1988
Deadline
Granville Jones
1988
White Mischief
Gilbert Colville
1987
Vincent
(voice)
1987
Spaceballs
John Hurt
1987
Aria
The Actor
1987
The Hunting of the Snark
The Narrator (voice)
1987
From the Hip
Douglas Benoit
1987
Monolith
Narrator (voice)
1987
Iceberg
Narrator (voice)
1987
Frightmares
1987
Rocinante
Bill
1986
Thames Film
1986
Jake Speed
Syd
1986
The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima
Narrator (voice)
1985
The Black Cauldron
The Horned King (voice)
1985
Live Aid
Self
1985
After Darkness
Peter Hunningford
1985
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Winston Smith
1984
The Hit
Braddock
1984
Success Is the Best Revenge
Dino Montecurva
1984
Champions
Bob Champion
1984
Sunset People
Self
1984
The Osterman Weekend
Lawrence Fassett
1983
King Lear
The Fool
1983
The Plague Dogs
Snitter (voice)
1982
Paul McCartney - Take It Away
Self
1982
Partners
Kerwin
1982
Night Crossing
Peter Strelzyk
1982
History of the World: Part I
Jesus - The Roman Empire
1981
Heaven's Gate
Billy Irvine
1980
The Elephant Man
John Merrick
1980
An Evening with Quentin Crisp
Host
1980
Alien
Kane
1979
The Lord of the Rings
Aragorn (voice)
1978
Watership Down
Hazel (voice)
1978
Midnight Express
Max
1978
The Shout
Anthony Fielding
1978
The Disappearance
Atkinson
1977
East of Elephant Rock
Nash
1977
Three Dangerous Ladies
Lt. George Simmonds
1977
Spectre
Mitri Cyon
1977
Stream Line
Chandler
1976
The Peddler
Alec Cassell
1976
The Naked Civil Servant
Quentin Crisp
1975
The Ghoul
Tom Rawlings
1975
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
Franz
1972
Green Julia
Bob
1971
Mr. Forbush and the Penguins
Richard Forbush
1971
10 Rillington Place
Timothy Evans
1971
In Search of Gregory
Daniel
1969
Sinful Davey
Davey Haggart
1969
Before Winter Comes
Lieutenant Pilkington
1969
The Sailor from Gibraltar
John
1967
A Man for All Seasons
Richard Rich
1966
This Is My Street
Charlie
1964
The Wild and the Willing
Phil Corbett
1962
The Storyteller: Sapsorrow
The Storyteller