# John Hurt RIP **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 28, 2017, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357 "2017-01-28T01:26:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/21 "2017-01-28T02:53:29Z")
Never a bad performance, even in some less-than-awesome films. I thought his brief role in the recent version of **Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy** as Gary Oldman’s mentor was particularly apt, as I regard him as the slightly earlier generation version of Oldman’s ever-reliable character actor. if John Hurt was in it, it at least would have _something_ worth watching, even if it was just him. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/22 "2017-01-28T02:55:19Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Zeus, by Jove, that is to say, by Myself, am I the first to mention Caligula? I’m with you. John Hurt was simply divine in _I, Claudius_. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/23 "2017-01-28T03:10:15Z")
More recently he was amazing as Marlowe in _Only Lovers Left Alive_. A supporting part, certainly, but he outshone Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton. And that ain’t easy. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/24 "2017-01-28T03:15:48Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Never a bad performance, even in some less-than-awesome films. I thought his brief role in the recent version of **Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy** as Gary Oldman’s mentor was particularly apt, as I regard him as the slightly earlier generation version of Oldman’s ever-reliable character actor. if John Hurt was in it, it at least would have _something_ worth watching, even if it was just him. RIP. See _Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull_. Or, better yet, don’t. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/25 "2017-01-28T03:17:57Z")
RIP, War Doctor… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tLiyAykkOO0/maxresdefault.jpg "DOCTOR WHO \*Exclusive Extended\* Inside Look: In Awe of John Hurt in "The Day of The Doctor"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLiyAykkOO0) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/26 "2017-01-28T03:19:06Z")
A great actor and a fantastic drive to _work_. RIP Mr. Hurt. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/27 "2017-01-28T03:51:43Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Zeus, by Jove, that is to say, by Myself, am I the first to mention Caligula? Give us a kiss! 🆒 RIP, John. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/28 "2017-01-28T04:27:14Z")
I know he’ll be remembered as Kane from Alien and as John Merrick from the Elephant Man, but he was also great as S. R. Haddon in Robert Zemeckis’/Carl Sagan’s Contact. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/29 "2017-01-28T05:29:31Z")
left him in so many things. Addition to the ones mentioned here, the movie he made a few years ago about Quentin Crisp in New York was a great later performance. A question for Who-do you count him as an official/canonical Doctor? ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/30 "2017-01-28T06:16:19Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > It wasn’t that long ago I finally stopped mixing him up with William Hurt (by name). When I heard the news about John Hurt, my first thought was what a great role he played in _Kiss of the Spider Woman._ Whoops. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/31 "2017-01-28T06:39:58Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > A question for Who-do you count him as an official/canonical Doctor? Of course. Why wouldn’t we? ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/32 "2017-01-28T06:42:52Z")
He was the War Doctor and time-locked the Time Lords and Daleks to stop the great Time War. So personally I count him. ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/33 "2017-01-28T09:58:29Z")
I think I’ve shared this anecdote before. I met him on the South Bank in London a few summers ago. I saw him walking along and pointed him out to my friend who then wanted to go over and say hello. I told my friend that Londoners don’t do that sort of thing, we leave celebrities alone as we’re cool like that. I have a hat fetish and on that day I was wearing my favourite grey bowler hat, very John Steed. Sir John saw me in my hat and got very excited and literally ran over to me to say how much he liked it. His wife came along and started to apologise for him bothering us! We chatted for a few minutes and I was trying to tell him how much I liked his work, but he wouldn’t shut up about my hat. He really made my day and I think I made his too. RIP. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/34 "2017-01-28T10:31:14Z")
One of the many terrible things about aging is watching actors whom you loved when both you and they were young dying. I first became aware of John Hurt seeing him on British TV in the early 60s. He had one of those faces and voices that leave an instant impression. I knew that this was a guy that was going places and when he rose to prominence with roles such as Rich in _A Man For All Seasons_ I was immensely pleased for him. (Bob Hoskins was another actor whose arc I followed from beginning to end.) A sad loss for us all. May the earth lie lightly on you, John. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/35 "2017-01-28T11:04:46Z")
I always enjoyed seeing him in the movies. My favourites have to be “1984” and “V for Vendetta,” though I also enjoyed his cameo in “Spaceballs.” Rest well, John. You’ve earned it. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/36 "2017-01-28T14:29:14Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Zeus, by Jove, that is to say, by Myself, am I the first to mention Caligula? He has become a god. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/37 "2017-01-28T15:24:56Z")
_“I promise you, there will be no pain.”_ ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/38 "2017-01-28T16:03:46Z")
DcnDC wrote: "It wasn’t that long ago I finally stopped mixing him up with William Hurt (by name). " I always confused him with John Heard (Cat People) and, to a lesser degree John Savage. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/39 "2017-01-28T22:56:03Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Zeus, by Jove, that is to say, by Myself, am I the first to mention Caligula? > [@Sefton](#): > > I’m with you. John Hurt was simply divine in _I, Claudius_. RIP. > [@terentii](#): > > Give us a kiss! 🆒 > RIP, John. > [@ftg](#): > > He has become a god. When I hear the name “John Hurt” I always think of Caligula, first. “Well, it’s _your chest_!” (Okay, you had to be there.) > [@aldiboronti](#): > > …he rose to prominence with roles such as Rich in _A Man For All Seasons_ … Yes. For such a young man, he managed to bring so much pathos and gravity to that relatively-small role. He was truly a master. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2017, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357/40 "2017-01-29T00:18:55Z")
I have loved his work ever since the first time I saw him in _A Man For All Seasons_. You wanted to like him, you wanted to hate him, you ended up simply not knowing how to feel about him. It was excellently done on his part, and in a movie that was filled with stand-out actors, too. I thought he did a good job with Ollivander in _Deathly Hallows, Pt. 2_ as well. There were numerous other examples of his excellence. Sad that he has left the scene. ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-hurt-rip/778357.md?page=3)