John Hurt

One of the great actors of the second half of the 20th century -- via CNN. I absolutely reject any smaller hyperbole. Loved him -- always a pleasure to watch. Of the same generation as Albert Finney, Ian McKellen, and David Warner, it took Hurt longer to get there, but one he did he showed an amazing power along with a way of delivering an eccentric or insane character in a coherent fashion. His first big break was playing the sycophantic perjurer Richard Rich in Zinneman's Oscar-winning 1966 "A Man for All Seasons."



He does a splendid job in Fleischer's overlooked "10 Rillington Place" in 1971 --

his Quentin Crisp in "The Naked Civil Servant" was inspired --



He blew everyone away with how he played Caligula in "I, Claudius" . . .



known for playing Max in "Midnight Express"

He's the voice of Hazel in "Watership Down" if you like that kind of thing,

Of course, he will be best known for the alien exploding from his chest in "Alien," 1979 --



He played the Elephant Man.



He was kind enough to play Jesus for Mel Brooks.



He played the last Fool to Olivier's Lear

He was in Peckinpah's weird spy thriller "The Osterman Weekend"



I really think his best performance is as Braddock in the completely overlooked philosophical thriller "The Hit.."



Then of course with his wan and puny look he plays the definitive Winston Smith in Michael Radford's "1984."



And as well the central and only character in the perofrmance captured of "Krapp's Last Tape". he way he says, "Sppoooooollll....."



The younger kids will remember him as Mr. Ollivander in the Harry Potter movies,



or
Prof. Broom in the Hellboys,



the High Chancellor in "V for Vendetta,"



and Control in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy."



He just cranked 'em out -- over 200 credits! He's still got a few projects in the works.