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John Hurt Biography (1940-)

Full name, John Vincent Hurt; born January 22, 1940, in Chesterfield (one source says Shirebrook), Derbyshire, England; son of Arnould Herbert (an Anglican vicar) and Phyllis (an engineer and amateur actress; maiden name, Massey) Hurt; married Annette Robinson (an actress), 1962 (divorced, 1964); companionof Marie-Lise Volpeliere-Pierrot (a composer and model), beginning c. 1970 (died January 26, 1983); married Donna-Lynn Laurence (an actress), September 6,1984 (divorced, 1990); married Jo Dalton (a film production assistant), January 24, 1990 (divorced, c. 1995); children: (third marriage) Alexander John Vincent, Nicholas. Addresses: Agent: Julian Belfrage Associates, 46 Albemarle St., London W1X 4PP, England.

Nationality

British

Gender

Male

Occupation

Actor

Birth Details

January 22, 1940

Chesterfield, Derbyshire, United Kingdom

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Film Appearances
• Phil, The Young and the Willing (also known as The Wild and theWilling), Universal, 1962
• Charlie, This Is My Street, Warner/Pathe, 1963
• Richard Rich, A Man for All Seasons, Columbia, 1966
• John, The Sailor from Gibraltar, Lopert, 1967
• Davey Haggart, Sinful Davey, United Artists, 1968
• Lieutenant Francis Pilkington, Before Winter Comes, Columbia, 1969
• Timothy John Evans, 10 Rillington Place, Columbia, 1970
• Daniel Morelli, In Search of Gregory (also known as Alla ricerca di Gregory), Universal, 1970
• Richard Forbush, Cry of the Penguins (also known as Mr. Forbushand the Penguins), British Lion, 1971
• Franz, The Pied Piper (also known as The Pied Piper of Hamelin), Paramount, 1972
• Malcolm Scrawdyke, Little Malcolm (also known as Little Malcolmand His Struggle against the Eunuchs), Multicetera, 1974
• Tom Rawlings, The Ghoul (also known as The Thing in the Attic), J. Arthur Rank, 1975
• Narrator, Do Yourself Some Good, 1975
• Shadows of Doubt, 1976
• Chandler, La linea del fiume, [Italy], 1976
• Nash, East of Elephant Rock, Kendon, 1976
• Atkinson, The Disappearance, World Northal, 1977
• Voice of Hazel, Watership Down (animated; also known as RichardAdams' Watership Down), Avco-Embassy, 1978
• Max the Englishman, Midnight Express, Columbia, 1978
• Voice of Aragorn, The Lord of the Rings (animated; also known as J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings), United Artists, 1978
• Anthony Fielding, The Shout, Films, Inc., 1978
• G. E. Kane, Alien, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1979
• William C. "Billy" Irvine, Heaven's Gate (also known as JohnsonCounty Wars), United Artists, 1980
• John Merrick, The Elephant Man, Paramount, 1980
• Jesus, History of the World, Part 1, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981
• Peter Strelzyk, Night Crossing, Buena Vista, 1982
• Voice of Snitter, The Plague Dogs (animated), United Artists, 1982
• Kerwin, Partners (also known as Zwei irre Typen auf heisser Spur), Paramount, 1982
• Lawrence Fassett, The Osterman Weekend, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1983
• Bob Champion, Champions, Embassy, 1983
• Narrator, Observations under the Volcano, Teleculture, 1984
• Dino Montecurva, Success Is the Best Revenge (also known as Lesucces a tout prix), Gaumont, 1984
• Winston Smith, 1984 (also known as Nineteen Eighty-four), Atlantic Releasing, 1984
• Sunset People, 1984
• (In archive footage) Kane, segment "Alien," Terror in the Aisles (also known as Time for Terror), 1984
• Peter Huninger, After Darkness, Philum, 1985
• Voice of the Horned King, The Black Cauldron (animated; also knownas Taran and the Magic Cauldron), Buena Vista, 1985
• Braddock, The Hit, Island Alive, 1985
• Sid, Jake Speed, New World, 1986
• Bill, Rocinante, Cinema Action, 1986
• The actor, "I Pagliacci," Aria, Virgin Vision, 1987
• Douglas Benoit, From the Hip, DEG, 1987
• Himself, Spaceballs, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1987
• Voice of Vincent Van Gogh, Vincent: The Life and Death of Vincent VanGogh, Illumination Films, 1987
• The narrator, The Hunting of the Snark, 1987
• Gilbert Colville, White Mischief, Columbia, 1988
• Robert Burger, Little Sweetheart (also known as Poison Candy), Nelson, 1988
• Lucien Metz, La nuit bengali (also known as The Bengali Night), Gaumont, 1988
• Dr. Stephen Ward, Scandal, Miramax, 1989
• Dr. Joseph Buchanan, Frankenstein Unbound (also known as RogerCorman's Frankenstein Unbound), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1990
• "The Bird" O'Donnell, The Field, Avenue, 1990
• Voices of Mercutio and La Dame aux Chats, Romeo-Juliet, 1990
• Robert Burgar, Little Sweetheart, [Great Britain], 1990
• Lord Percival Graves, King Ralph, Universal, 1991
• Himself, Resident Alien (also known as Resident Alien: QuentinCrisp in America), Greycat Films, 1991
• Boorman's alter ego, I Dreamt I Woke Up, [Ireland], 1991
• Conrad Farmer, Lapse of Memory (also known as Memoire traquee), Gerald Mital Productions/Max Films Productions, 1992
• The father, Six Characters in Search of an Author, 1992
• Anthony and the marquis, L'oeil qui ment (also known as Dark atNoon, or Eyes and Lies), [France], 1992
• Villano, Monolith, MCA/Universal Home Video, 1993
• The countess, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, New Line Cinema, 1993
• Storyteller, Rabbit Ears: Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, 1993
• Uncle Turpin, Second Best, Warner Bros., 1994
• Voice of Mr. Mole, Thumbelina (animated; also known as Hans Christian Andersen's Thumbelina), Warner Bros., 1994
• Narrator, Foerraederi (also known as Betrayal), SVT International, 1994
• John Scholfield, Dead Man (also known as Dead Man and Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man), Miramax, 1995
• Marquis of Montrose, Rob Roy, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists,1995
• Charley Prince, Bill's friend/narrator, Wild Bill, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1995
• Dr. Turner, Tender Loving Care, Trident Releasing, 1997
• Giles De'Ath, Love and Death on Long Island (also known as Amour et mort a Long Island), CFP Distribution, 1997
• Chuck Langer, The Climb (also known as Straight from the Heart and Le defi), Banner Pictures, 1997
• Babits, Bandyta (also known as The Brute and Bastard), Heritage Films, 1997
• S. R. Hadden, Contact, Warner Bros., 1997
• Michael Poole, Night Town, Subotica Productions, 1998
• Magician, Magic, 1998
• Sean Cooper, If ... Dog ... Rabbit, Franchise Pictures, 1998
• Desert Blue, Samuel Goldwyn Company, 1998
• James Morton, The Commissioner, Metropolis Filmproduction, 1998
• Maitland, You're Dead ... (also known as You Are Dead), 1998
• (English voice) Sebastian, Le chateau des singes (also known as Kwom und der Koenig der Affen and A Monkey's Tale), 1999
• Alan White, New Blood, Scanbox International, 1999
• Voice of narrator, The Tigger Movie (animated), Buena Vista, 2000
• Father Lareaux, Lost Souls, New Line Cinema, 2000
• Porfiry, Crime and Punishment, 21st Century Film Corp., 2000
• Dr. Iannis (The Greeks), Captain Corelli's Mandolin (also known asCapitaine Corelli), Universal, 2001
• Mr. Ollivander, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (also knownas Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone), Warner Bros., 2001
• Vince, Tabloid, 2001
• Christian, Miranda, Channel Foru Films, 2002
• Victor Foss, Owning Mahowny, 2002
• Also appeared as Sean, Koelesoenkapott idoe.
• Television Appearances
• Series
• Title role, The Storyteller (also known as Jim Henson's The Storyteller) Channel 4/Television South, 1988, then broadcast as The JimHenson Hour (also known as Jim Henson Presents), NBC, 1989
• Voice of General Woundwort, Watership Down, YTV, 1999
• Movies
• Joshua Harlborough, A Tragedy of Two Ambitions (also known as Wessex Tales: A Tragedy of Two Ambitions), BBC, 1973
• Quentin Crisp, The Naked Civil Servant, Thames Television, 1975
• The Peddler (also known as Play for Today: The Peddler), 1976
• Mitri Cyon, Spectre, [Great Britain], 1977
• Rex Goodyear, Great Moments in Aviation (also known as Shades of Fear), BBC, 1993
• Eric Lomax, Prisoners in Time, BBC, 1995
• Jack Lee, Saigon Baby, BBC, 1995
• Mr. Summers, All the Little Animals, BBC, 1998
• Krapp, Krapp's Last Tape, Channel 4, 2000
• Miniseries
• Caligula, I, Claudius, BBC, 1977, broadcast on Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, 1977
• Raskolnikov, Crime and Punishment, BBC, 1979
• Archie Carpenter, Red Fox, 1991
• Comte de Chevereu, "Two Nudes Bathing," Picture Windows (also known as Picture Windows: Language of the Heart), Showtime, 1995
• Episodic
• Freddy Tinsdale, "The Tin Gold," Gideon's Way, 1965
• Shades of Greene, Thames Television, 1975
• Tony Grey, "Tomorrow Man," The Sweeney, 1976
• Chris Mullen, "The Investigation: Inside a Terrorist Bombing" (also knownas "Who Bombed Birmingham?"), HBO Showcase, HBO, 1990, broadcast on Granada Television, 1990
• Himself, "Secrets of the Muppets," The Jim Henson Hour, 1992
• Himself, Parkinson, 2001
• Also appeared in an episode of Inside the Actors Studio.
• Specials
• Nijinsky--God of the Dance, 1975
• Playboy of the Western World, 1976
• Himself, The Making of "Midnight Express," 1977
• The fool, "King Lear," BBC Television Shakespeare, BBC2, 1982
• Voice characterization, Pyramid (documentary), PBS, 1988
• Narrator, "The Winged Messenger," Survival Specials, PBS, 1989
• Narrator, Paul McCartney: Going Home, The Disney Channel, 1991
• Backstage at Masterpiece Theatre: A Twentieth Anniversary Special,PBS, 1991
• Narrator, "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp," We All Have Tales (animated), Showtime, 1994
• Narrator, On Jupiter, Discovery Channel, 1995
• Host, The Three Ravens (also known as Jim Henson's The Storyteller), HBO, 1997
• Narrator, True Story of the Elephant Man (also known as Sci-Trek), Discovery Channel, 1997
• Narrator, Black Holes: The Ultimate Abyss, BBC1 and Discovery Channel, 1997
• (In archive footage) Quentin Crisp, The 100 Greatest TV Characters, Channel 4, 2001
• Other
• Mourtzanos, 1961
• The Waste Places, ATV, 1968
• Treats, 1977
• Deadline, BBC, 1988
• Poison Candy, BBC, 1988
• Charles Rutherford, Windprints, Virgin Vision/ICA Television, 1990
• Also appeared in Menace, BBC2 and BBC; Acquit and Hang; Fearnot; Green Julia; The Hard Case; I'm a Bird; The Stone Dance; Ten from the Twenties; Watch Me.
• Stage Appearances
• Mytyl, The Blue Bird, 1953
• Lady Bracknell, The Importance of Being Earnest, 1954
• Knocker White, Infanticide in the House of Fred Ginger, Arts Theatre, London, 1962
• Chips with Everything, Vaudeville Theatre, London, 1962
• Len, The Dwarfs, Arts Theatre, 1963
• Title role, Hamp, Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1965
• Jones, Inadmissible Evidence, Wyndham's Theatre, London, 1965
• Malcolm Scrawdyke, Little Malcolm and His Struggle against the Eunuch, Garrick Theatre, London, 1966
• Victor, Belcher's Luck, Royal Shakespeare Company, Aldwych Theatre, London, 1966
• Malcolm, Macbeth, 1967
• Octavius, Man and Superman, Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, Ireland, 1969
• Mick, The Caretaker, Mermaid Theatre, London, 1972
• Peter, Ride a Cocked Horse, Hampstead Theatre, London, 1972
• Martin, The Only Street, Dublin Festival, Eblana Theatre, Dublin,Ireland, then King's Head Theatre, Islington, England, 1973
• Ruffian, The Ruffian on the Stair, Soho Poly Theatre, London, 1973
• Ben, The Dumb Waiter, Soho Poly Theatre, 1973
• Romeo, Romeo and Juliet, Coventry, England, 1973
• Tristan Tzara, Travesties, Royal Shakespeare Company, Aldwych Theatre, 1974
• Young man, The Arrest, Bristol Old Vic Theatre, Bristol, England,1974
• Donal, The Shadow of a Gunman, Nottingham Playhouse, Nottingham, England, 1978
• Trigorin, The Seagull, Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, England, 1985
• London Vertigo, Gate Dublin, 1991
• A Month in the Country, Albery, 1994
• RECORDINGS
• Taped Readings
• (With others) Narrator, Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, Rabbit Ears, 1995
• Video Games
• Voice of Joe the bartender, Privateer 2: The Darkening, ElectronicArts, 1996
• Music Videos
• Appeared in Paul McCartney's "Take It Away."
• Albums
• Narrator, Art of Noise's The Seduction of Claude Debussy, 1999

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

• International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 3: Actors and Actresses, St. James Press, 1996

Periodicals

• Booklist, November 1, 1995, p. 490
• Interview, March, 1998, p. 104
• New York Times, April 23, 1989; December 2, 1990