Biographies

John Hurt: Biography, Life Story, Facts

John Hurt
John Hurt

John Hurt’s biography tells the story of a remarkable actor whose talent and dedication shaped a career spanning over five decades. From his early days as an art student to becoming one of Britain’s most respected performers, Hurt’s life story is one of perseverance and brilliance. His standout roles, such as the heartbreaking portrayal of Joseph Merrick in The Elephant Man and the wise Mr. Ollivander in Harry Potter, showcase his versatility and depth. John Hurt’s success story reflects the impact he made on both cinema and television through his memorable and diverse performances.

Biography Summary

John Vincent Hurt, CBE (January 22, 1940 – January 25, 2017), was an English actor whose career lasted over 50 years. He was widely recognized as one of the best actors in Britain, with his distinctive voice contributing to his unique presence. Director David Lynch referred to him as “simply the greatest actor in the world.”1 Hurt received many accolades, including the BAFTA Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award in 2012. In 2015, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to drama.

Hurt was a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and gained attention for his role as Richard Rich in A Man for All Seasons (1966). He earned the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Naked Civil Servant (1975) and played the infamous Caligula in the BBC series I, Claudius (1976). Hurt’s outstanding performances led to Academy Award nominations, including Best Supporting Actor for Midnight Express (1978) and Best Actor for The Elephant Man (1980). Other notable films in his career included Alien (1979), Heaven’s Gate (1980), Champions (1984), Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984), The Hit (1984), Scandal (1989), The Field (1990), Rob Roy (1995), and Contact (1997).

Hurt became even more well-known for his portrayal of Garrick Ollivander in the Harry Potter film series from 2001 to 2011. He also appeared in the Hellboy films (2004, 2008), V for Vendetta (2005), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), Outlander (2008), and Snowpiercer (2013). Additionally, he took part in critically acclaimed films such as Melancholia (2011), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), Only Lovers Left Alive (2013), and Jackie (2016).

In 2009, Hurt reprised his role as Quentin Crisp in An Englishman in New York, which earned him his seventh BAFTA nomination. He also portrayed the War Doctor in the popular series Doctor Who. His voice acting credits included roles in Watership Down (1978), The Lord of the Rings (1978), The Plague Dogs (1982), The Black Cauldron (1985), Dogville (2003), Valiant (2005), BBC’s Merlin (2008–2012), The Gruffalo’s Child (2011), and Thomas & Friends: Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure (2015).

Early Life and Education

John Vincent Hurt was born on January 22, 1940, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, to Arnould Herbert Hurt and Phyllis (née Massey). His father had initially been a mathematician but later became a Church of England clergyman, serving as vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Shirebrook, Derbyshire. His mother, who had once pursued acting, worked as the first female draughtsman at Metropolitan-Vickers in Manchester.2 In 1937, the family moved to Derbyshire when Arnould became the Perpetual Curate of Holy Trinity Church. Later, the family relocated to St Stephen’s Church in Woodville, Derbyshire, where John’s father served as vicar until 1953.3

At eight, Hurt was sent to St Michael’s Preparatory School in Otford, Kent, where his passion for acting began. He played his first role in a school production of The Blue Bird, where he portrayed a female character. Hurt later recalled a difficult experience at the school, where he and other boys were abused by a senior master, a memory that left a lasting impact on him. At 12, Hurt transferred to Lincoln School after failing to gain admission to his brother’s school. His ambitions of becoming an actor were met with skepticism from his headmaster, who doubted his future in the profession.4

Hurt’s family later moved to Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, where his father became vicar at St Aidan’s Church. Hurt recalled that while films were frowned upon, his mother regularly took him to the theatre, encouraging his interest in the performing arts. Despite this, his parents preferred he pursue a more stable career, leading him to study art.

At 17, Hurt enrolled at Grimsby Art School, now known as the East Coast School of Art and Design. In 1959, he earned a scholarship to study for an Art Teacher’s Diploma at Saint Martin’s School of Art in London. Even with the scholarship, Hurt found it challenging to cover his expenses, so he began selling portraits of friends who posed for him. In 1960, he was awarded a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), where he trained for two years, graduating with an Acting Diploma in 1962.5

Career

1962–1975

John Hurt’s first film role was as Phil Corbett in the British romantic drama The Wild and the Willing (1962), directed by Ralph Thomas, where he acted alongside Virginia Maskell and Paul Rogers. In 1963, he appeared in the kitchen sink drama This Is My Street. The following year, he took on the role of Freddy Tisdale, a prison escapee, in an episode of the television series Gideon’s Way titled “The Tin God” (1964).

Hurt’s first significant role came in 1966 when he played Richard Rich in A Man for All Seasons, directed by Fred Zinnemann. This historical drama featured a star-studded cast, including Paul Scofield, Orson Welles, and Vanessa Redgrave. The film was highly praised, winning six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Hurt followed this success by acting in The Sailor from Gibraltar (1967), a romantic drama directed by Tony Richardson, and Sinful Davey (1969), a raunchy adventure comedy directed by John Huston, which drew comparisons to the film Tom Jones. In the same year, he appeared in Before Winter Comes, a British war film alongside David Niven, and in In Search of Gregory with Julie Christie.

In 1971, Hurt earned his first BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Timothy Evans in 10 Rillington Place, where he portrayed a man wrongly hanged for the crimes of his landlord, John Christie. His portrayal of Quentin Crisp in the TV play The Naked Civil Servant (1975) earned him widespread recognition and the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor. The following year, Hurt appeared in the TV series The Sweeney, playing a crooked computer programming expert in the episode “Tomorrow Man.”

1976–1980

John Hurt gained further recognition for his portrayal of the Roman emperor Caligula in the BBC drama serial I, Claudius (1976). In a later documentary, I Claudius: A Television Epic (2002), Hurt shared that he had initially declined the role, but after attending a pre-production party organized by the director Herbert Wise, he was persuaded to join the cast. His performance became one of the standout elements of the series.

In 1978, Hurt appeared in Midnight Express, earning him a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Though he did not win the Oscar, losing to Christopher Walken for The Deer Hunter, Hurt’s performance was widely praised. That same year, he voiced Aragorn in Ralph Bakshi’s animated adaptation of The Lord of the Rings and lent his voice to the character Hazel in the animated film Watership Down. He would later voice the villainous General Woundwort in the animated television adaptation of the same story.

Someone once asked me, “Is there anything you regret?” and I said, “Everything!” Whatever you do, there was always a better choice.

John Hurt

One of his most memorable roles came in 1979 when he played Kane, the first victim of the alien creature in Ridley Scott’s sci-fi classic Alien. Hurt even reprised this role in a comedic fashion in Spaceballs. In 1980, Hurt starred as Joseph Merrick in David Lynch’s biographical drama The Elephant Man. His portrayal of the disfigured Merrick, using elaborate prosthetics and delivering a gentle, quavering voice, earned him critical acclaim.6 He won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and received nominations for both the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.

In the same year, Hurt appeared in Michael Cimino’s epic Western Heaven’s Gate alongside Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, and Sam Waterston. The following year, he took on the role of Jesus Christ in the comedy History of the World, Part I (1981) and starred in the thriller Night Crossing (1981). Hurt received the Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actor for his performances in Champions (1984), The Hit (1984), and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984). During this period, he also played the character Scrawdyke in the 1974 film Little Malcolm.

1981–1999

In the early 1980s, John Hurt starred in The Osterman Weekend (1983), the final film directed by Sam Peckinpah. Though the film received mixed reviews, it found moderate success. That same year, Hurt played the Fool opposite Laurence Olivier in King Lear (1983), and in 1979, he portrayed Raskolnikov in a BBC television adaptation of Crime and Punishment.

During this period, Hurt voiced Snitter in the animated film The Plague Dogs (1982) and played Winston Smith in the film adaptation of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984). He also voiced the antagonist, the Horned King, in Disney‘s The Black Cauldron (1985). In 1986, Hurt contributed his voice to a public information film titled AIDS: Iceberg/Tombstone, which warned about the dangers of AIDS. In 1988, he took on the title role and served as the on-screen narrator in Jim Henson’s television series The StoryTeller. During this time, he also appeared in From The Hip (1987), directed by Bob Clark.

Hurt earned another BAFTA nomination for his supporting role as “Bird” O’Donnell in Jim Sheridan’s The Field (1990), where he starred alongside Richard Harris, who received an Academy Award nomination for his performance. In 1991, Hurt portrayed Lord Percival Graves in King Ralph. He also took on the role of James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose, in Rob Roy (1995), acting alongside Liam Neeson, Jessica Lange, and Tim Roth. That same year, he appeared in two Western films: Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man, starring Johnny Depp, and Walter Hill’s Wild Bill, featuring Jeff Bridges.

In 1997, Hurt received a nomination for the BIFA Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a British Independent Film for his role in Love and Death on Long Island. That year, he also played the reclusive tycoon S.R. Hadden in the sci-fi film Contact. Toward the end of the decade, Hurt provided narration for the British musical group Art of Noise’s concept album The Seduction of Claude Debussy and narrated a four-part TV series, The Universe (1999).

2000–2017

In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001), John Hurt portrayed Mr. Ollivander, the wand-maker, a role he reprised in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (though his scenes were cut) and later in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Part 2. In 2006, he played the role of Adam Sutler, the authoritarian leader of a fascist regime in V for Vendetta, and in 2008, he appeared as Harold Oxley in Steven Spielberg‘s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Hurt also voiced the Great Dragon Kilgharrah in the BBC series Merlin (2008), aiding Merlin as he protected the future King Arthur. In 2011, he narrated the BBC documentary Planet Dinosaur, a CGI-focused exploration of the prehistoric world.

In 2009, Hurt returned to his iconic role as Quentin Crisp in An Englishman in New York, a film that portrayed Crisp’s later years in New York. That same year, he revisited Nineteen Eighty-Four, this time playing Big Brother in a stage adaptation by the Paper Zoo Theatre Company. Hurt found it ironic that having played Winston Smith in the film adaptation, he was now portraying Big Brother in this stage version.

Also, the wonderful thing about film, you can see light at the end of the tunnel. You did realize that it is going to come to an end at some stage.

John Hurt

At the 65th British Academy Film Awards, Hurt received the award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. In 2013, he appeared in Doctor Who as an incarnation of the Doctor known as the War Doctor. His character featured prominently in the 50th-anniversary episode The Day of the Doctor and continued in a series of audio stories from 2015 to 2017. Hurt also voiced the title character in an audio adaptation of The Invisible Man, which earned him a nomination for a BBC Audio Drama Award.

Hurt had been cast as Don Quixote in Terry Gilliam’s long-delayed film The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, but due to his declining health, the role was recast. He was also scheduled to appear in Broken Dream, a film directed by Neil Jordan, alongside Ben Kingsley, but this project was not completed.

In 2015, Hurt voiced Sailor John, the antagonist in Thomas & Friends: Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure. His final role was in That Good Night (2017), where he played a terminally ill writer. He had also been cast as Neville Chamberlain in Darkest Hour but had to drop out due to his battle with pancreatic cancer, and the role went to Ronald Pickup.7

Personal Life

John Hurt had an older brother, Michael, who later became Br. Anselm, a monk and writer at Glenstal Abbey. Hurt contributed to his brother’s work. He also had an adopted sister named Monica. In 1962, Hurt’s father moved to British Honduras to serve as headmaster of St Michael’s College, leaving his parish in Cleethorpes. Hurt’s mother passed away in 1975, and his father died in 1999 at the age of 95.

Hurt’s personal life included several marriages and significant relationships. In 1962, he married actress Annette Robertson, though the marriage ended in 1964. His longest relationship was with French model Marie-Lise Volpeliere-Pierrot, whom he dated for 15 years. Tragically, Volpeliere-Pierrot died in 1983 after being thrown from her horse during a ride near their home in Oxfordshire.

In September 1984, Hurt married Donna Peacock, an American actress, and the couple briefly lived in Kenya before divorcing in January 1990. That same month, Hurt married Joan Dalton, an American production assistant he met while filming Scandal.8 They had two sons together before divorcing in 1996. Following this, Hurt entered a seven-year relationship with Sarah Owens, a writer and presenter from Dublin. They lived in County Wicklow, near their friends John Boorman and Garech Browne, but separated in 2002.

In March 2005, Hurt married his fourth wife, Anwen Rees-Meyers, an advertising film producer. During this marriage, he quit smoking and drinking.9 The couple resided in Cromer, Norfolk.

In 2007, Hurt explored his family history on the BBC program Who Do You Think You Are?. He had long believed a family legend that his great-grandmother was the illegitimate daughter of a Marquess of Sligo. However, genealogical evidence on the show cast doubt on this claim, though it revealed that his great-grandmother had lived near where Hurt attended art school in Grimsby.

In 2016, Hurt publicly supported the United Kingdom’s decision to remain in the European Union during the Brexit referendum.

Top 10 Little-Known Facts About John Hurt

  1. Initial Hesitation for Iconic Roles: Hurt initially declined the role of Caligula in I, Claudius. He only accepted after being persuaded at a pre-production party by the director, Herbert Wise.
  2. Art Background: Before pursuing acting, Hurt studied art. He attended Grimsby Art School and later Saint Martin’s School of Art in London, where he funded his tuition by selling nude portraits of his friends.
  3. Rejected for Drama School: Hurt was told by the headmaster of Lincoln School that he “wouldn’t stand a chance” in the acting profession, which only fueled his determination to succeed.10
  4. A Patron of Rare Medical Conditions: After portraying Joseph Merrick in The Elephant Man, Hurt became a patron of the Proteus Syndrome Foundation, which researches the condition Merrick was thought to have.
  5. Narrator of Public Health Films: Hurt provided narration for a 1986 public information film about AIDS, titled AIDS: Iceberg/Tombstone, which warned of the dangers of the virus during the height of the AIDS crisis.
  6. Rejected Roles: Hurt was originally cast as Don Quixote in Terry Gilliam’s ill-fated film The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, but he had to drop out due to declining health.
  7. Voice Actor in Animation: Hurt lent his voice to several animated characters, including the Horned King in The Black Cauldron (1985) and the Great Dragon Kilgharrah in the BBC series Merlin.
  8. Family Tragedy: Hurt’s long-term partner, Marie-Lise Volpeliere-Pierrot, tragically died in a horse-riding accident in 1983, just as they were planning to marry after 15 years together.
  9. Patron of Ethiopian Charity: Since 2006, Hurt has supported Project Harar, a UK-based charity that helps children in Ethiopia with facial disfigurements, aligning with his experience from The Elephant Man.
  10. Belief in a Family Legend: Hurt believed that his great-grandmother was the illegitimate daughter of a Marquess of Sligo, a family legend he cherished until genealogical research suggested otherwise during his appearance on Who Do You Think You Are?.

Awards

YearAward NameNominated WorkCategory
1975BAFTA AwardsThe Naked Civil ServantBest Actor
1978Golden Globe AwardsMidnight ExpressBest Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
1980BAFTA AwardsThe Elephant ManBest Actor
2011BAFTA Special AwardN/ASpecial Award

Honors

In 2004, John Hurt was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).11 He was later knighted as a Knight Bachelor in the 2015 New Year Honours for his services to drama. On July 17, 2015, Hurt attended an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, where Queen Elizabeth II bestowed the knighthood upon him.

In 2012, Hurt was included among the British cultural icons chosen by artist Sir Peter Blake to feature in a new version of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover celebrated admired British cultural figures.

In 2014, the Shakespeare Theatre Company awarded him the Will Award, sharing the honor with Stacy Keach and Dame Diana Rigg. The John Hurt Centre was also established in September 2016 as an education and exhibition space at Cinema City in Norwich.

Charity Patron

Hurt was deeply involved in charitable causes, serving as a patron of the Proteus Syndrome Foundation in both the UK and the US since 2003. Proteus syndrome is believed to have afflicted Joseph Merrick, whom Hurt portrayed in The Elephant Man. Although the exact nature of Merrick’s condition remains uncertain, Hurt’s portrayal brought attention to the cause.12

Since 2006, Hurt has supported Project Harar, a UK-based charity that helps children in Ethiopia with facial disfigurements. In 2013, Hurt became a patron of Norwich Cinema City.

In 2014, Hurt designed a Paddington Bear statue, part of an initiative involving fifty statues placed around London before the release of Paddington. His marmalade-themed statue, located outside the British Museum, was auctioned to raise funds for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).

University Degrees and Appointments

John Hurt received several honorary degrees throughout his life. In January 2002, he was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Derby. In 2006, he received an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Hull. In 2012, Hurt was appointed provost of Norwich University College of the Arts and became its first chancellor when the college gained university status in 2013. On January 23, 2013, the University of Lincoln awarded Hurt an Honorary Doctor of Arts at a ceremony in Lincoln Cathedral.

Illness and Death

On June 16, 2015, John Hurt revealed that he had been diagnosed with early-stage pancreatic cancer. Despite the diagnosis, he expressed optimism about the treatment, stating that both he and his medical team were hopeful for a positive outcome.13 Hurt continued working while undergoing treatment, and by October 12, 2015, he announced that his cancer had gone into remission.14

Sadly, John Hurt passed away at his home in Cromer, Norfolk, on January 25, 2017, just three days after his 77th birthday.

Final Reflections

Reflecting on John Hurt’s life story, his success story is marked by the unforgettable characters he brought to life and the lasting influence he left on the world of film and television. From his award-winning roles to his iconic voice work, Hurt’s legacy is preserved through the stories and performances cherished by audiences worldwide. John Hurt’s biography remains a celebration of an extraordinary actor whose dedication to his craft continues to inspire future generations.

Reference List for John Hurt’s Biography

  1. Kreps, Daniel. “John Hurt, Oscar-Nominated ‘Elephant Man’ Actor, Dead at 77.” Rolling Stone, 27 Jan. 2017. ↩︎
  2. Lipworth, Elaine. “All About Our Mothers …” The Guardian, 1 Apr. 2011. ↩︎
  3. “Woodville and Hartshorne Heritage Trail.” South Derbyshire District Council. ↩︎
  4. “The Guardian Interview: John Hurt.” The Guardian, UK, 1 July 2000. ↩︎
  5. “RADA Student & Graduate Profiles: John Hurt.” RADA, rada.ac.uk. ↩︎
  6. Bradshaw, Peter. “The Elephant Man Review – David Lynch’s Tragic Tale of Compassion.” The Guardian, 12 Mar. 2020. ↩︎
  7. “John Hurt Won’t Appear in Darkest Hour, What Was Thought to Be His Final Film.” Digital Spy, 16 May 2017. ↩︎
  8. Graham, Chris. “Sir John Hurt, Legendary British Actor, Dies Aged 77 After Battle with Pancreatic Cancer.” The Daily Telegraph, 28 Jan. 2017. ↩︎
  9. “Never Lose the Edge – John Hurt Interview.” The Scotsman, 8 Feb. 2018. ↩︎
  10. Harrod, Peter. The Lincoln School Boarding House. Garton Archive, Lincoln Christ’s Hospital School. ↩︎
  11. “Actor Hurt Earns His CBE.” BBC News, 9 Dec. 2004. ↩︎
  12. “Ancient DNA Analysis Unveils Mystery of History’s Most Horribly Deformed Man — The Elephant Man.” EurekAlert!, 21 July 2003. ↩︎
  13. “‘John Hurt ‘More Than Optimistic’ as He Reveals Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis.” The Guardian, 15 June 2015. ↩︎
  14. “John Hurt ‘Overjoyed’ and ‘Thrilled’ at Cancer Remission News.” Digital Spy, 14 Oct. 2015. ↩︎

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