John Hurt Biography

John Hurt

actor
Born: 1/22/1940
Birthplace: Chesterfield, England

Oscar-nominated actor whose career spans four decades and more than eighty roles ranging from the classical to the futuristic. Perhaps best known for his adept portrayal of socially marginalized characters, including John Merrick in The Elephant Man (1980), Stephen Ward in Scandal (1989), and Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-four (1984), he has also had less acclaimed roles in films such as Alien (1979), Heaven's Gate (1980), and History of the World: Part I (1981). He has lent his voice to numerous adaptations of children's stories, including The Lord of the Rings (1978), Watership Down (1978), and Thumbelina (1994). Other notable films featuring Hurt are Rob Roy (1995), Contact (1997), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001), Hellboy (2004), The Skeleton Key (2005) V for Vendetta (2005), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008).