Actor
John Hurt
Born 22 January 1940 · Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, UK — died 25 January 2017
Sir John Hurt (1940–2017) was an English actor whose career lasted more than five decades. He is remembered for intense, often vulnerable roles, including Kane in Alien and Joseph Merrick in The Elephant Man, and for later reaching new audiences as Ollivander in the Harry Potter films.
Key films
Midnight Express (1978)
His performance as a fellow prisoner brought international recognition and an Oscar nomination.
Alien (1979)
As Kane, he starred in the infamous chest-burster scene, one of cinema's best-known moments.
The Elephant Man (1980)
His moving portrayal of Joseph Merrick in David Lynch's film earned an Oscar nomination and a BAFTA.
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
He played Winston Smith in the acclaimed adaptation of Orwell's dystopian novel.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
As wandmaker Ollivander, he joined a hugely popular franchise and reached a younger generation.
Key awards
- 1979 BAFTA Award, Best Supporting Actor (Midnight Express)
- 1979 Golden Globe, Best Supporting Actor (Midnight Express)
- 1981 BAFTA Award, Best Actor (The Elephant Man)
- 2012 BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 227
- 1962The Wild and the Willing · as Phil CorbettActor
- 1964This Is My Street · as CharlieActor
- 1966A Man for All Seasons · as Richard RichActor
- 1967The Sailor from Gibraltar · as JohnActor
- 1969Sinful Davey · as Davey HaggartActor
- 1969Before Winter Comes · as Lieutenant PilkingtonActor
- 1969In Search of Gregory · as DanielActor
- 197110 Rillington Place · as Timothy EvansActor
- 1971Mr. Forbush and the Penguins · as Richard ForbushActor
- 1971Green Julia · as BobActor
- 1972The Pied Piper · as FranzActor
- 1974Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs · as Malcolm ScrawdykeActor
- 1974The Playboy of the Western World · as Christopher Mahon (Christy Mahon)Actor
- 1975The Naked Civil Servant · as Quentin CrispActor
- 1975The Ghoul · as Tom RawlingsActor
- 1976Stream Line · as ChandlerActor
- 1976The Island · as Captain SimmondsActor
- 1976The Peddler · as Alec CassellActor
- 1977The Disappearance · as AtkinsonActor
- 1977Spectre · as Mitri CyonActor
- 1977East of Elephant Rock · as NashActor
- 1977Three Dangerous Ladies · as Lt. George SimmondsActor
- 1978Midnight Express · as MaxActor
- 1978The Lord of the Rings · as Aragorn (voice)Actor
- 1978Watership Down · as Hazel (voice)Actor
- 1978The Shout · as Anthony FieldingActor
- 1979Alien · as KaneActor
- 1980The Elephant Man · as John MerrickActor
- 1980Heaven's Gate · as Billy IrvineActor
- 1980An Evening with Quentin Crisp · as HostActor
- 1981History of the World: Part I · as Jesus - The Roman EmpireActor
- 1982The Plague Dogs · as Snitter (voice)Actor
- 1982Night Crossing · as Peter StrelzykActor
- 1982Partners · as KerwinActor
- 1982Paul McCartney - Take It Away · as SelfActor
- 1983The Osterman Weekend · as Lawrence FassettActor
- 1983King Lear · as The FoolActor
- 1984Nineteen Eighty-Four · as Winston SmithActor
- 1984The Hit · as BraddockActor
- 1984Champions · as Bob ChampionActor
- 1984Success Is the Best Revenge · as Dino MontecurvaActor
- 1984Sunset People · as SelfActor
- 1985The Black Cauldron · as The Horned King (voice)Actor
- 1985Live Aid · as SelfActor
- 1985After Darkness · as Peter HunningfordActor
- 1985The Strange Case of Yukio Mishima · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1986Jake Speed · as SydActor
- 1986Rocinante · as BillActor
- 1986Thames Film · as NarratorActor
- 1987Spaceballs · as John HurtActor
- 1987White Mischief · as Gilbert ColvilleActor
- 1987Aria · as The ActorActor
- 1987From the Hip · as Douglas BenoitActor
- 1987Vincent · as Vincent Van Gogh (voice)Actor
- 1987The Hunting of the Snark · as The NarratorActor
- 1987Monolith · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1987FrightmaresActor
- 1987Iceberg · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1988Deadline · as Granville JonesActor
- 1988The Bengali Night · as Lucien MetzActor
- 1988The Storyteller: Hans My Hedgehog · as The StorytellerActor
- 1988The Storyteller: Fearnot · as The StorytellerActor
- 1988The Storyteller: A Story Short · as The StorytellerActor
- 1988The Storyteller: The Luck Child · as The StorytellerActor
- 1988The Storyteller: Sapsorrow · as The StorytellerActor
- 1988The Storyteller: The True Bride · as The StorytellerActor
- 1988A Dinner of Herbs · as Verse ReaderActor
- 1988The Storyteller: The Three Ravens · as The StorytellerActor
- 1989Scandal · as Stephen WardActor
- 1989Poison Candy · as Robert BurgerActor
- 1989David Macaulay: Pyramid · as Khufu / Second French Explorer (voice)Actor
- 1990Frankenstein Unbound · as Dr. Joe Buchanan / Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1990The Field · as Bird' O'DonnellActor
- 1990Resident Alien · as Self - ActorActor
- 1990Windprints · as Charles RutherfordActor
- 1990Who Bombed Birmingham? · as Chris MullinActor
- 1990Jonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only: David Lynch · as SelfActor
- 1990Romeo.Juliet · as La Dame aux Chats / Mercutio (voice)Actor
- 1990Paul McCartney: From Rio to Liverpool · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1991King Ralph · as GravesActor
- 1991I Dreamt I Woke Up · as Boorman's Alter EgoActor
- 1991Lapse of Memory · as Conrad FarmerActor
- 1991Red Fox · as Archie CarpenterActor
- 1991Journey to Knock · as AlfredActor
- 1992Dark at Noon · as Anthony / Le MarquisActor
- 1992Six Characters in Search of An Author · as The FatherActor
- 1993Monolith · as VillanoActor
- 1994Thumbelina · as Mr. Mole (voice)Actor
- 1994Even Cowgirls Get the Blues · as The CountessActor
- 1994Second Best · as Uncle TurpinActor
- 1994Great Moments in Aviation · as Rex GoodyearActor
- 1994The World of Jim Henson · as The Storyteller (archive footage)Actor
- 1994Rabbit Ears - Aladdin and the Magic Lamp · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1995Dead Man · as John ScholfieldActor
- 1995Rob Roy · as John GrahamActor
- 1995Wild Bill · as Charley PrinceActor
- 1995Picture Windows: Two Nudes Bathing · as Marquis de PreyActor
- 1995Saigon Baby · as Jack LeeActor
- 1995On Jupiter · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1996Tender Loving Care · as Dr. TurnerActor
- 1997Contact · as S. R. HaddenActor
- 1997Brute · as BabitsActor
- 1998Love and Death on Long Island · as Giles De'AthActor
- 1998The Commissioner · as James mortonActor
- 1998The Climb · as Chuck LangerActor
- 1998Night Train · as Michael PooleActor
- 1999All the Little Animals · as Mr. SummersActor
- 1999New Blood · as Alan WhiteActor
- 1999You're Dead... · as MaitlandActor
- 1999If... Dog... Rabbit · as Sean CooperActor
- 2000The Tigger Movie · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 2000Lost Souls · as Father LareauxActor
- 2000Krapp's Last Tape · as KrappActor
- 2001Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone · as Mr OllivanderActor
- 2001Captain Corelli's Mandolin · as Dr. IannisActor
- 2001Tabloid · as VinceActor
- 2001The Hidden Wars of Desert Storm · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 2001The Terrible Elephant Man Revealed · as SelfActor
- 2001Shaolin: Wheel of Life · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 2002Miranda · as ChristianActor
- 2002Crime and Punishment · as Porfiry, chief investigatorActor
- 2002The Alien Saga · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 2002Bait · as Jack BlakeActor
- 2002I, Claudius: A Television Epic · as SelfActor
- 2002The Twilight Hour: Visions of Ireland's Haunted Past · as SelfActor
- 2003Dogville · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 2003Owning Mahowny · as Victor FossActor
- 2003The Beast Within: Making Alien · as SelfActor
- 2003Meeting Che Guevara & the Man from Maybury Hill · as Man from Maybury HillActor
- 2003Check the Gate: Putting Beckett on Film · as Self / Self - Krapp ("Krapp's Last Tape")Actor
- 2004Hellboy · as Prof. Trevor 'Broom' BruttenholmActor
- 2004Pride · as Harry (voice)Actor
- 2004Hellboy: The Seeds of Creation · as SelfActor
- 2004Shadowing the Third Man · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 2004Alpha to Omega: Exposing 'The Osterman Weekend' · as SelfActor
- 2005The Skeleton Key · as Ben DevereauxActor
- 2005Valiant · as Felix (voice)Actor
- 2005The Proposition · as Jellon LambActor
- 2005Manderlay · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 2005Hiroshima · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 2005Once Upon a Halloween · as The Horned King (voice) (archive sound)Actor
- 2005Short Order · as FelixActor
- 2006V for Vendetta · as Adam SutlerActor
- 2006Perfume: The Story of a Murderer · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 2006Shooting Dogs · as ChristopherActor
- 2006Whaledreamers · as SelfActor
- 2006V for Vendetta: Unmasked · as Adam SutlerActor
- 2006The Plot Against Harold Wilson · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 2007Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron · as Professor Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm (voice)Actor
- 2007Boxes · as Fanny's fatherActor
- 2007Interview with John Hurt · as SelfActor
- 2007The 50 Greatest Television Dramas · as SelfActor
- 2008Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull · as Professor Harold OxleyActor
- 2008Hellboy II: The Golden Army · as Trevor BruttenholmActor
- 2008Outlander · as RothgarActor
- 2008The Oxford Murders · as Arthur SeldomActor
- 2008New York, I Love You · as BellhopActor
- 2008Recount · as Warren ChristopherActor
- 2008Lecture 21 · as Mondrian KilroyActor
- 2008Verity Lambert: Drama QueenActor
- 2009The Gruffalo · as Owl (voice)Actor
- 2009The Limits of Control · as GuitarActor
- 2009Waking Sleeping Beauty · as The Horned King (voice) (archive footage)Actor
- 200944 Inch Chest · as Old Man PeanutActor
- 2009An Englishman in New York · as Quentin CrispActor
- 2009Ballybrando · as SelfActor
- 2009Centenary: The BP Story · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 2009Remembrance · as BellhopActor
- 2009Making History: Mel Brooks on Creating the World · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2010Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 · as OllivanderActor
- 2010A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures · as Grandpa Sammy (voice)Actor
- 2010Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie · as CarnakActor
- 2010Brighton Rock · as Phil CorkeryActor
- 2010Whistle and I'll Come to You · as James ParkinActor
- 2010Lou · as DoyleActor
- 2010Love at First Sight · as ArthurActor
- 2010Behind Jim Jarmusch · as SelfActor
- 2011Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 · as OllivanderActor
- 2011Melancholia · as DexterActor
- 2011Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy · as ControlActor
- 2011Immortals · as Old ZeusActor
- 2011The Gruffalo's Child · as The Owl (voice)Actor
- 2011The Confession · as PriestActor
- 2011On Borrowed Time · as SelfActor
- 201123 Degrees, 5 Minutes · as Professor OritActor
- 2011In Love with Alma Cogan · as MCActor
- 2011Sailcloth · as ManActor
- 2011The Journey – Stories from the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa · as NarratorActor
- 2012Sightseers · as Jerusalem Narrator (voice) (uncredited)Actor
- 2012More Than Honey · as Narrator (english voice)Actor
- 2012Planet Dinosaur: Ultimate Killers · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 2012The Snipist · as The MinistryActor
- 2013Snowpiercer · as GilliamActor
- 2013Only Lovers Left Alive · as Christopher MarloweActor
- 2013Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor · as The War DoctorActor
- 2013Doctor Who: The Night of the Doctor · as The War DoctorActor
- 2013Jayne Mansfield's Car · as Kingsley BedfordActor
- 2013The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot · as The War Doctor (archive voice)Actor
- 2013Hello: A Portrait Of Leslie Phillips · as Self / Stephen WardActor
- 2013Muse of Fire · as SelfActor
- 2013Doctor Who Live: The Afterparty · as SelfActor
- 2013The Day of the Doctor: Cinema Intro · as The War DoctorActor
- 2013Benjamin Britten: Peace and Conflict · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 2013Swan Lake 3D - Live from the Mariinsky Theatre · as The Voice of the Winter Palace / SelfActor
- 2014Hercules · as CotysActor
- 2014Richard Attenborough: A Life in Film · as SelfActor
- 2014Wimbledon The Official Film 2014 · as NarratorActor
- 2015Doctor Who: The Husbands of River Song · as The Doctor (War) (picture) (uncredited)Actor
- 2015Thomas & Friends: Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure: The Movie · as Sailor John (voice)Actor
- 2015The Alchemist's Letter · as The Alchemist (voice)Actor
- 2015A.K.A Nadia · as 347Actor
- 2015Break · as JackActor
- 2015Dmitri Shostakovich: A Man of Many Faces · as NaratorActor
- 2016Jackie · as The PriestActor
- 2016ChickLit · as Francis BonarActor
- 2016The Final Reel · as Self - Narrator (voice)Actor
- 2016Back to Utopia · as Professor Peter Panludic (voice)Actor
- 2016The Pity of War: The Loves and Lives of the War Poets · as Siegfried SassoonActor
- 2017Damascus Cover · as MikiActor
- 2017The Journey · as Harry PattersonActor
- 2017My Name Is Lenny · as Leslie SalmonActor
- 2017That Good Night · as RalphActor
- 2018Ayamé · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 2021Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2024Doctor Who at the Proms · as The Doctor (War) (archive footage)Actor
- 2025Doctor Who: Wish World & The Reality War · as The Doctor (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 2025Henry Fonda for President · as Self (archive footage)Actor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.