Acting · Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, UK · Born January 22, 1940
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.
MovieDoctor Who: Wish World & The Reality War
2025
as The Doctor (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieHenry Fonda for President
2025
as Self (archive footage)
MovieDoctor Who at the Proms
2024
as The Doctor (War) (archive footage)
MovieHannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony
2021
as Self (archive footage)
MovieAyamé
2018
as Narrator (voice)
MovieDamascus Cover
2017
as Miki
MovieThat Good Night
2017
as Ralph
MovieMy Name Is Lenny
2017
as Leslie Salmon
MovieThe Journey
2017
as Harry Patterson
MovieJackie
2016
as The Priest
The Pity of War: The Loves and Lives of the War Poets
2016
as Siegfried Sassoon
MovieBack to Utopia
2016
as Professor Peter Panludic (voice)
MovieThe Final Reel
2016
as Self - Narrator (voice)
MovieChickLit
2016
as Francis Bonar
MovieDoctor Who: The Husbands of River Song
2015
as The Doctor (War) (picture) (uncredited)
TVThe Last Panthers
2015
as Tom
MovieThomas & Friends: Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure: The Movie
2015
as Sailor John (voice)
MovieA.K.A Nadia
2015
as 347
MovieBreak
2015
as Jack
MovieThe Alchemist's Letter
2015
as The Alchemist (voice)
MovieDmitri Shostakovich: A Man of Many Faces
2015
as Narator
MovieWimbledon The Official Film 2014
2014
as Narrator
MovieRichard Attenborough: A Life in Film
2014
as Self
MovieHercules
2014
as Cotys
MovieOnly Lovers Left Alive
2013
as Christopher Marlowe
MovieDoctor Who Live: The Afterparty
2013
as Self
MovieThe Day of the Doctor: Cinema Intro
2013
as The War Doctor
MovieDoctor Who: The Day of the Doctor
2013
as The War Doctor
MovieThe Five(ish) Doctors Reboot
2013
as The War Doctor (archive voice)
MovieDoctor Who: The Night of the Doctor
2013
as The War Doctor
MovieHello: A Portrait Of Leslie Phillips
2013
as Self / Stephen Ward
MovieMuse of Fire
2013
as Self
MovieSnowpiercer
2013
as Gilliam
MovieJayne Mansfield's Car
2013
as Kingsley Bedford
MovieSwan Lake 3D - Live from the Mariinsky Theatre
2013
as The Voice of the Winter Palace / Self
MovieBenjamin Britten: Peace and Conflict
2013
as Narrator (voice)
MovieSightseers
2012
as Jerusalem Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
TVLabyrinth
2012
as Audric Baillard
MoviePlanet Dinosaur: Ultimate Killers
2012
as Narrator (voice)
MovieMore Than Honey
2012
as Narrator (english voice)
TVThe Hollow Crown
2012
as The Chorus
MovieThe Snipist
2012
as The Ministry
TVPlayhouse Presents
2012
as The Ministry (voice)
MovieThe Gruffalo's Child
2011
as The Owl (voice)
MovieImmortals
2011
as Old Zeus
MovieOn Borrowed Time
2011
as Self
MovieIn Love with Alma Cogan
2011
as MC
MovieTinker Tailor Soldier Spy
2011
as Control
TVPlanet Dinosaur
2011
as Narrator
MovieHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
2011
as Ollivander
Movie23 Degrees, 5 Minutes
2011
as Professor Orit
MovieThe Journey – Stories from the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
2011
as Narrator
MovieMelancholia
2011
as Dexter
MovieThe Confession
2011
as Priest
TVThe Confession
2011
as Priest
TVHuman Planet
2011
as Narrator (voice)
MovieSailcloth
2011
as Man
MovieWhistle and I'll Come to You
2010
as James Parkin
MovieUltramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie
2010
as Carnak
MovieHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
2010
as Ollivander
MovieLove at First Sight
2010
as Arthur
MovieBrighton Rock
2010
as Phil Corkery
Behind Jim Jarmusch
2010
as Self
MovieA Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures
2010
as Grandpa Sammy (voice)
MovieLou
2010
as Doyle
MovieThe Gruffalo
2009
as Owl (voice)
MovieMaking History: Mel Brooks on Creating the World
2009
as Self (archive footage)
MovieBallybrando
2009
as Self
Movie44 Inch Chest
2009
as Old Man Peanut
Remembrance
2009
as Bellhop
MovieWaking Sleeping Beauty
2009
as The Horned King (voice) (archive footage)
MovieThe Limits of Control
2009
as Guitar
MovieAn Englishman in New York
2009
as Quentin Crisp
MovieCentenary: The BP Story
2009
as Narrator (voice)
MovieLecture 21
2008
as Mondrian Kilroy
TVMerlin
2008
as Kilgharrah (voice)
MovieNew York, I Love You
2008
as Bellhop
MovieHellboy II: The Golden Army
2008
as Trevor Bruttenholm
MovieRecount
2008
as Warren Christopher
MovieIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
2008
as Professor Harold Oxley
MovieOutlander
2008
as Rothgar
MovieVerity Lambert: Drama Queen
2008
MovieThe Oxford Murders
2008
as Arthur Seldom
TVMasters of Science Fiction
2007
as Samswope
MovieBoxes
2007
as Fanny's father
MovieHellboy Animated: Blood and Iron
2007
as Professor Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm (voice)
MovieThe 50 Greatest Television Dramas
2007
as Self
MovieInterview with John Hurt
2007
as Self
MoviePerfume: The Story of a Murderer
2006
as Narrator (voice)
MovieWhaledreamers
2006
as Self
MovieThe Plot Against Harold Wilson
2006
as Narrator (voice)
Movie'V for Vendetta' Unmasked
2006
as Adam Sutler
MovieShooting Dogs
2006
as Christopher
MovieV for Vendetta
2006
as Adam Sutler
MovieThe Proposition
2005
as Jellon Lamb
MovieOnce Upon a Halloween
2005
as The Horned King (voice) (archive sound)
MovieHiroshima
2005
as Narrator (voice)
MovieThe Skeleton Key
2005
as Ben Devereaux
MovieManderlay
2005
as Narrator (voice)
Hiroshima: The First Weapon of Mass Destruction
2005
as Narrator
TVDoctor Who
2005
as The Doctor
MovieValiant
2005
as Felix (voice)
MovieShort Order
2005
as Felix
TVWho Do You Think You Are?
2004
as Self
MovieShadowing the Third Man
2004
as Narrator (voice)
MovieHellboy: The Seeds of Creation
2004
as Self
MoviePride
2004
as Harry (voice)
MovieHellboy
2004
as Prof. Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm
MovieAlpha to Omega: Exposing 'The Osterman Weekend'
2004
as Self
TVThe Alan Clark Diaries
2004
as Alan Clark
MovieThe Beast Within: Making Alien
2003
as Self
MovieDogville
2003
as Narrator (voice)
MovieMeeting Che Guevara & the Man from Maybury Hill
2003
as Man from Maybury Hill
MovieOwning Mahowny
2003
as Victor Foss
MovieCheck the Gate: Putting Beckett on Film
2003
as Self / Self - Krapp ("Krapp's Last Tape")
MovieThe Alien Saga
2002
as Narrator (voice)
The Twilight Hour: Visions of Ireland's Haunted Past
2002
as Self
MovieI, Claudius: A Television Epic
2002
as Self
MovieCrime and Punishment
2002
as Porfiry, chief investigator
HypaSpace
2002
as Self
MovieBait
2002
as Jack Blake
MovieMiranda
2002
as Christian
TVEdge of the Universe
2002
as Narrator (voice)
MovieShaolin: Wheel of Life
2001
as Narrator (voice)
MovieThe Terrible Elephant Man Revealed
2001
as Self
MovieHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
2001
as Mr. Ollivander
MovieCaptain Corelli's Mandolin
2001
as Dr. Iannis
MovieThe Hidden Wars of Desert Storm
2001
as Narrator (voice)
MovieTabloid
2001
as Vince
MovieLost Souls
2000
as Father Lareaux
MovieKrapp's Last Tape
2000
as Krapp
MovieThe Tigger Movie
2000
as Narrator (voice)
MovieNew Blood
1999
as Alan White
MovieYou're Dead...
1999
as Maitland
MovieIf... Dog... Rabbit
1999
as Sean Cooper
TVWatership Down
1999
as General Woundwort (voice)
MovieAll the Little Animals
1999
as Mr. Summers
MovieLove and Death on Long Island
1998
as Giles De'Ath
MovieThe Climb
1998
as Chuck Langer
MovieThe Commissioner
1998
as James morton
TVParkinson
1998
as Self
MovieNight Train
1998
as Michael Poole
MovieBrute
1997
as Babits
MovieContact
1997
as S. R. Hadden
MovieTender Loving Care
1996
as Dr. Turner
MovieDead Man
1995
as John Scholfield
Saigon Baby
1995
as Jack Lee
MovieWild Bill
1995
as Charley Prince
TVPicture Windows
1995
as Marquis de Prey
On Jupiter
1995
as Narrator (voice)
MovieRob Roy
1995
as John Graham
MoviePicture Windows: Two Nudes Bathing
1995
as Marquis de Prey
MovieThe World of Jim Henson
1994
as The Storyteller (archive footage)
MovieSecond Best
1994
as Uncle Turpin
MovieRabbit Ears - Aladdin and the Magic Lamp
1994
as Narrator (voice)
TVInside the Actors Studio
1994
as Self
MovieEven Cowgirls Get the Blues
1994
as The Countess
MovieGreat Moments in Aviation
1994
as Rex Goodyear
MovieThumbelina
1994
as Mr. Mole (voice)
MovieMonolith
1993
as Villano
TVGMTV
1993
as Self
MovieSix Characters in Search of An Author
1992
as The Father
MovieDark at Noon
1992
as Anthony / Le Marquis
MovieRed Fox
1991
as Archie Carpenter
MovieI Dreamt I Woke Up
1991
as Boorman's Alter Ego
TVPerformance
1991
as The Father
Journey to Knock
1991
as Alfred
MovieLapse of Memory
1991
as Conrad Farmer
MovieKing Ralph
1991
as Lord Percival Graves
MoviePaul McCartney: From Rio to Liverpool
1990
as Narrator (voice)
MovieFrankenstein Unbound
1990
as Dr. Joe Buchanan / Narrator (voice)
MovieJonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only: David Lynch
1990
as Self
MovieThe Field
1990
as Bird' O'Donnell
MovieResident Alien
1990
as Self - Actor
MovieWindprints
1990
as Charles Rutherford
MovieWho Bombed Birmingham?
1990
as Chris Mullin
MovieRomeo.Juliet
1990
as La Dame aux Chats / Mercutio (voice)
MoviePoison Candy
1989
as Robert Burger
TVThe Jim Henson Hour
1989
as The Storyteller (archive footage)
MovieScandal
1989
as Stephen Ward
MovieDavid Macaulay: Pyramid
1989
as Khufu / Second French Explorer (voice)
MovieThe Bengali Night
1988
as Lucien Metz
MovieA Dinner of Herbs
1988
as Verse Reader
MovieThe Storyteller: The True Bride
1988
as The Storyteller
MovieThe Storyteller: The Heartless Giant
1988
as The Storyteller
MovieThe Storyteller: Sapsorrow
1988
as The Storyteller
MovieThe Storyteller: Hans My Hedgehog
1988
as The Storyteller
MovieThe Storyteller: A Story Short
1988
as The Storyteller
MovieThe Storyteller: The Luck Child
1988
as The Storyteller
MovieThe Storyteller: Fearnot
1988
as The Storyteller
MovieThe Storyteller: The Soldier and Death
1988
as The Storyteller
TVThe Storyteller
1988
as The Storyteller
MovieDeadline
1988
as Granville Jones
MovieWhite Mischief
1987
as Gilbert Colville
MovieVincent
1987
as (voice)
MovieSpaceballs
1987
as John Hurt
MovieAria
1987
as The Actor
The Hunting of the Snark
1987
as The Narrator (voice)
MovieFrom the Hip
1987
as Douglas Benoit
MovieMonolith
1987
as Narrator (voice)
MovieIceberg
1987
as Narrator (voice)
Frightmares
1987
Rocinante
1986
as Bill
MovieThames Film
1986
as Narrator
TVScreenPlay
1986
as Alfred
MovieJake Speed
1986
as Syd
MovieThe Strange Case of Yukio Mishima
1985
as Narrator (voice)
MovieThe Black Cauldron
1985
as The Horned King (voice)
MovieLive Aid
1985
as Self
MovieAfter Darkness
1985
as Peter Hunningford
TVScreen Two
1985
as Rex Goodyear
MovieNineteen Eighty-Four
1984
as Winston Smith
MovieThe Hit
1984
as Braddock
MovieSuccess Is the Best Revenge
1984
as Dino Montecurva
MovieChampions
1984
as Bob Champion
MovieSunset People
1984
as Self
TVNatural World
1983
as Narrator
MovieThe Osterman Weekend
1983
as Lawrence Fassett
MovieKing Lear
1983
as The Fool
MovieThe Plague Dogs
1982
as Snitter (voice)
Paul McCartney - Take It Away
1982
as Self
MoviePartners
1982
as Kerwin
MovieNight Crossing
1982
as Peter Strelzyk
MovieHistory of the World: Part I
1981
as Jesus - The Roman Empire
MovieHeaven's Gate
1980
as Billy Irvine
MovieThe Elephant Man
1980
as John Merrick
An Evening with Quentin Crisp
1980
as Host
MovieAlien
1979
as Kane
TVCrime and Punishment
1979
as Rodion Raskolnikov
MovieThe Lord of the Rings
1978
as Aragorn (voice)
MovieWatership Down
1978
as Hazel (voice)
MovieMidnight Express
1978
as Max
MovieThe Shout
1978
as Anthony Fielding
MovieThe Disappearance
1977
as Atkinson
MovieEast of Elephant Rock
1977
as Nash
TVThe Hollywood Greats
1977
MovieThree Dangerous Ladies
1977
as Lt. George Simmonds
The Sunday Drama
1977
as Dave
MovieSpectre
1977
as Mitri Cyon
TVI, Claudius
1976
as Caligula
MovieStream Line
1976
as Chandler
MovieThe Peddler
1976
as Alec Cassell
MovieThe Naked Civil Servant
1975
as Quentin Crisp
TVSaturday Night Live
1975
as March Hare
TVShades of Greene
1975
as Fred
Ten from the Twenties
1975
as Philip
MovieThe Ghoul
1975
as Tom Rawlings
TVThe Sweeney
1975
as Tony Grey
MovieLittle Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs
1974
as Malcolm Scrawdyke
TVNOVA
1974
as Narrator
The Playboy of the Western World
1974
as Christopher Mahon (Christy Mahon)
TVWessex Tales
1973
as Joshua Harlborough
MovieThe Pied Piper
1972
as Franz
TVA Ghost Story for Christmas
1971
as James Parkin
Film '72
1971
as Self
Green Julia
1971
as Bob
MovieMr. Forbush and the Penguins
1971
as Richard Forbush
Movie10 Rillington Place
1971
as Timothy Evans
TVGreat Performances
1971
as Narrator
TVPlay for Today
1970
as Alec Cassell
MovieIn Search of Gregory
1969
as Daniel
MovieSinful Davey
1969
as Davey Haggart
MovieBefore Winter Comes
1969
as Lieutenant Pilkington
TVITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969
as Bob
TVITV Playhouse
1967
as Guy Beresford
MovieThe Sailor from Gibraltar
1967
as John
MovieA Man for All Seasons
1966
as Richard Rich
TVNET Playhouse
1966
as Peter Heywood
TVGideon's Way
1965
as Freddy Tisdale
Thursday Theatre
1964
as Orpheus
MovieThis Is My Street
1964
as Charlie
First Night
1963
as Garry
MovieThe Wild and the Willing
1962
as Phil Corbett
Drama 61-67
1961
as Private Briggs
TVArmchair Theatre
1956
as Joe
TVGolden Globe Awards
1944
as Self - Nominee
