John Hurt, the Oscar-nominated actor from such films as Alien, The Elephant Man and V for Vendetta, has died. According to various media reports, he succumbed to pancreatic cancer on Friday (January 27). He was 77.
The esteemed British actor may be best known for playing John Merrick in David Lynch's 1980 film The Elephant Man, though his career extended far beyond that role. In his six-decade career, Hurt also appeared in a wide variety of films, including 1978's Midnight Express, 2004's Hellboy, 2006's V for Vendetta, 2013's Snowpiercer and the Harry Potter films, as well as many others. He was also nominated for Oscars twice in his lifetime.
Perhaps Hurt's most memorable role, however, was when he played Kane, the first victim of Ridley Scott's original 1979 Alien film. It's as Kane where Hurt collapses mid-meal as a Xenomorph tears through his chest, effectively killing off his character and freeing the alien to terrorize the ship. He would later revive that role of Kane in Mel Brooks's 1987 comedy Spaceballs.
In 2012, Hurt was honoured with a lifetime achievement award by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He was then knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in July 2015.
In June 2015, Hurt announced he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his fourth wife Anwen Rees-Myers and sons Alexander and Nicholas.
The esteemed British actor may be best known for playing John Merrick in David Lynch's 1980 film The Elephant Man, though his career extended far beyond that role. In his six-decade career, Hurt also appeared in a wide variety of films, including 1978's Midnight Express, 2004's Hellboy, 2006's V for Vendetta, 2013's Snowpiercer and the Harry Potter films, as well as many others. He was also nominated for Oscars twice in his lifetime.
Perhaps Hurt's most memorable role, however, was when he played Kane, the first victim of Ridley Scott's original 1979 Alien film. It's as Kane where Hurt collapses mid-meal as a Xenomorph tears through his chest, effectively killing off his character and freeing the alien to terrorize the ship. He would later revive that role of Kane in Mel Brooks's 1987 comedy Spaceballs.
In 2012, Hurt was honoured with a lifetime achievement award by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He was then knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in July 2015.
In June 2015, Hurt announced he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his fourth wife Anwen Rees-Myers and sons Alexander and Nicholas.
