# the Sir John Hurt appreciation thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 28, 2014, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352 "2014-12-28T13:02:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Idilia\_Dubb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c2a13f/32.png) [@Idilia\_Dubb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idilia_Dubb)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/1 "2014-12-28T13:02:12Z")
Fans of Sir John Hurt (yes, you read that right - Her Maj is giving him a long-overdue knighthood) post here. What’s your favorite role of his? Share your thoughts and insights on his life and career. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/2 "2014-12-28T13:32:05Z")
The man is a damn fine actor. He was nominated for Best Actor(although he didn’t win) by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences(US) for a role in which you couldn’t even see his face. As John Merrick, in _The Elephant Man_, he could only use his voice and body movements, and even the latter were hampered by the makeup. That was my favorite role of his, but I’ve admired him in many others. _Scandal_, anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/3 "2014-12-28T13:40:25Z")
He was also pretty good as Caligula, in _I, Claudius_, and his role as Richard Rich, in _A Man for All Seasons_, was important, although not large. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/4 "2014-12-28T13:44:54Z")
[_When people told themselves their past with stories, explained their present with stories, foretold the future with stories, the best place by the fire was kept for… The Storyteller_.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs81RjW4kvs) ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/5 "2014-12-28T14:02:20Z")
I’ve seen him on stage doing ‘krapps last tape’ and he totally blew me away. I had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of years ago when he was strolling along the south bank in London. He’d spotted me wearing my usual head gear and said loudly ‘that man is wearing a bowler hat, I must speak to him!’ We chatted for 10 mins or so and he was a really nice guy. No ‘star’ attitude from him at all. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/6 "2014-12-28T14:09:05Z")
I look at the list of his movies and I’m not sure I’ve seen very many of them, yet I recognize him as a marvelous actor. How odd. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/7 "2014-12-28T14:13:55Z")
To me, he’ll always be Winston Smith in [1984](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087803/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1). Helluva movie. ---
**Author:** ![Idilia\_Dubb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c2a13f/32.png) [@Idilia\_Dubb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idilia_Dubb)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/8 "2014-12-28T14:14:03Z")
> [@JacobSwan](#): > > I’ve seen him on stage doing ‘krapps last tape’ and he totally blew me away. > > I had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of years ago when he was strolling along the south bank in London. He’d spotted me wearing my usual head gear and said loudly ‘that man is wearing a bowler hat, I must speak to him!’ We chatted for 10 mins or so and he was a really nice guy. No ‘star’ attitude from him at all. **JacobSwan** , what a great story! Thanks for sharing it. I envy your having seen him onstage and talking with him in person. During the chat, did you get the feeling he was studying you in case he ever gets a role playing a banker or other bowler-hatted type? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/9 "2014-12-28T14:29:19Z")
[Threadshit] There was a time when Knighthoods were given for [del] whipping the French[/del] _doing great deeds in service of the realm_ and now they are handed out like smarties to any geriatric actors. [/Threadshit] Guy is a legend. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/10 "2014-12-28T15:58:23Z")
He is an awesome and seemingly unappreciated actor. I loved his work as an actor in \*Alien \*and love his willingness to spoof himself with one of the most awesome cameos ever in _Space Balls_. When he played the War Doctor in the 50th anniversary, I mentioned to my kids he was the best actor to ever appear in _Doctor Who_ in its long history. He is simply one of the great character actors. He was excellent in \*Scandal \*as mentioned by **Baker**. ---
**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:** [December 28, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/11 "2014-12-28T17:37:37Z")
Just watched _Snowpiecer_ last week. (Definitely a “Brain in full off position.” film.) Nice enough job but seemed to be channeling Ian McKellen. (Although to be fair, Hurt “appeared” in _Lord of the Rings_ first.) Looking at his IMDb [page](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000457/) for the first thing I saw him in. _Presumably A Man for All Seasons_, but I don’t recall him in that. Definitely remember him from _A Naked Civil Servant_. But he was already familiar to me from various things by then. Maybe some missing listings? And then there’s … _I, Claudius_. The definitive bat-crap crazy Roman Emperor. Never seen anyone do a better job in that type of role. Seeing his listing as the narrator for _Perfume: The Story of a Murderer_ brings up the perennial question: How did they convince people like him, Hoffman and Rickman to appear in such a so-far-off-the-wall-you-can’t-even-see-the-wall-anymore movie? Since I’m eating lunch right now, I’m not going to bring up another famous thing he did. ---
**Author:** ![Idilia\_Dubb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c2a13f/32.png) [@Idilia\_Dubb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idilia_Dubb)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/12 "2014-12-28T19:00:31Z")
[QUOTE=ftg;18009064 Since I’m eating lunch right now, I’m not going to bring up another famous thing he did.[/QUOTE] 😕 So, **FTG** , are you finished eating? Don’t leave us hanging… ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/13 "2014-12-28T19:08:56Z")
Even though it was a minor role for him I absolutely adored him in the first Harry Potter movie. he always gives his best regardless of how big a part he plays. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/14 "2014-12-28T19:25:55Z")
He will always be Caligula for me. I enjoy him in everything he appears in. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/15 "2014-12-28T19:59:22Z")
I’d never say it to his face, but the first thing that I always think of him in was Privateer 2. I started the game having no idea they had done it with real actors in cut scenes, and was so shocked when he showed up. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/16 "2014-12-28T20:41:07Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > I’d never say it to his face, but the first thing that I always think of him in was Privateer 2. I started the game having no idea they had done it with real actors in cut scenes, and was so shocked when he showed up. …me too. I also still think of Clive Owen as Ser Lev Arris. That game was broken as hell, but it really did feature the pinnacle of mid-90’s live-action cut-scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/17 "2014-12-28T20:52:58Z")
When I was a teen, I saw him in Caligula and instantly became a fan. “By Jove! . . . Which is always to say, by Myself.” Loved him in both Quentin Crisp bio movies. There have been lots of others, but not as many as I’d have liked, over the years. He’s one of those actors you see pop up in random little roles, and you say, “Oh yay, John Hurt!” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/18 "2014-12-28T23:58:42Z")
“Henry Jones…junior!” Not his best role, but a fun one. Then again, I like Indy 4. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/19 "2014-12-29T00:01:27Z")
Obviously, it was his turn as the War Doctor that pushed Her Maj over the edge on this decision… ---
**Author:** ![Dancer\_Flight](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dancer_flight/32/7601_2.png) [@Dancer\_Flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dancer_Flight)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352/20 "2014-12-29T03:23:21Z")
“Oh No!, Not again…” I love the man’s voice, but he’ll always be Kane from Alien/Space Balls to me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sir-john-hurt-appreciation-thread/708352.md?page=2)