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.
I’m with you. John Hurt was simply divine in I, Claudius. RIP.
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.
See Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Or, better yet, don’t.
RIP, War Doctor…
A great actor and a fantastic drive to work. RIP Mr. Hurt.
Give us a kiss! 
RIP, John.
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.
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?
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:
Of course. Why wouldn’t we?
He was the War Doctor and time-locked the Time Lords and Daleks to stop the great Time War.
So personally I count him.
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.
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.
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.
He has become a god.
“I promise you, there will be no pain.”
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.
When I hear the name “John Hurt” I always think of Caligula, first. “Well, it’s your chest!” (Okay, you had to be there.)
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.
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. 