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Oscar-Nominated Actor Known for ‘Alien,’ ‘Elephant Man,’ ‘Harry Potter’ and Many Other Roles Dead at 77

Jan 30, 2017  •  Post A Comment

A two-time Oscar-nominated actor whose career spanned six decades has died after recently beating cancer. News of the death of British actor John Hurt at 77 broke late last week.

Hurt reportedly died Wednesday, Jan. 25. He battled pancreatic cancer in 2015 and announced that he was in remission in the fall of that year.

“Despite the all-clear, Sir John continued to endure periods of ill health,” the U.K. publication The Daily Mail reports. “He suffered intestinal complaints and was forced to withdraw from a West End production of ‘The Entertainer’ last July.”

Hurt was well-known for his many film roles, with his title role in title role in David Lynch’s 1980 biopic “The Elephant Man” earning him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. It was Hurt’s second nomination, following his supporting nod for the 1978 movie “Midnight Express.”

Hurt also was known for “Alien” and for his role as wand maker Mr. Ollivander in the “Harry Potter” movies, among his many roles.

At the time of his death, Hurt had been working on a number of films due for release this year, including “That Good Night,” in which he reportedly plays a once-famous writer who is terminally ill.

“He is also due to star in a film called ‘Darkest Hour,’ about the early days of the Second World War,” The Daily Mail reports. “Hurt was due to play Neville Chamberlain alongside Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, although the movie has not yet finished filming.”

Hurt won a Golden Globe for “Midnight Express” and was nominated again for a Globe for “The Elephant Man.” Among his many other acclaimed film performances are “A Man for All Seasons” (1966), “The Hit” (1984), “Scandal” (1989), “The Field” (1990), “The Proposition” (2005), “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (2008), “An Englishman in New York” (2009) and “Jackie” (2016).

Here’s John Hurt’s acceptance speech at the 2012 BAFTA Awards, where he was honored for outstanding British contribution to cinema, posted by the BBC …

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