John Hurt Films: Looking Back at the English Actor’s Most Iconic Hollywood Roles

Many of this generation have seen John Hurt films of varying genres. That's how prolific the actor was in life. The 77-year-old English actor died in his home in Norfolk on Jan. 25, 2017. Hurt's acting career has spanned more than sixty years and he has played several iconic Hollywood roles. As tribute to his contribution to the entertainment industry and the performing arts, here is a list of his most memorable film roles.

Unforgettable John Hurt films from drama to sci-fi

Hurt first appeared in the 1962 film "The Wild and the Willing", but he has since starred in several unforgettable roles like in "Midnight Express" (1978) where he won a Golden Globe and BAFTA award. In the first "Alien" film in 1979, Hurt played Kane, an officer on the ship who got killed by an alien. He was the first casualty when the alien exploded out of his chest. (With good humor, Hurt reprised the role in the parody "Spaceballs".)

Such sad news to hear John Hurt has died.
 
His performances in both Midnight Express and The Elephant man were truly sublime.#RipJohnHurt pic.twitter.com/EoFkXgyt59

— Pink Floyd - Steve®™ (@steve_sps) January 28, 2017

One of John Hurt's unforgettable roles is in the 1980 film "The Elephant Man", where he played a disfigured man mistreated by society. The movie was nominated for eight Oscars and Hurt won another BAFTA award. In 1984, Hurt played the protagonist, Winston Smith, in the film adaptation of George Orwell's "1984". According to TheWrap, Hurt was called "the perfect Winston Smith" because of his electrifying performance.

John Hurt later appeared in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in 2001 as the wandmaker, Mr. Ollivander and continued to play the role till the last film. In 2005, Hurt played a Catholic priest who got involved in the Rwanda genocide in "Beyond the Gates". According to Metro, the film didn't have a great script during Hurt's first reading, but the director worked hard to revise it to make it into a brilliant movie.

John Hurt leaves behind a magical legacy

In the following year, Hurt starred in "V for Vendetta" as the fascist dictator, Adam Sutler. In 2004 and 2008, Hurt played the role of Professor Broom in the hit movie adaptations of the comic book "Hellboy". Hurt has done more than a hundred films. His TV career didn't decline either. Among other roles, he was the voice behind Kilgarrah in BBC's "Merlin" and he was the War Doctor in a "Doctor Who" episode in 2013.

Hurt has received various awards, including a Golden Globe and four BAFTA. He was also knighted in 2015 for his contributions. He will be last seen in the film "Darkest Hour", which will be released on Nov. 24, 2017.

can we just appreciate this touching moment where potterheads raised their wands outside ollivanders for the late actor, john hurt pic.twitter.com/DgXlquoJxl — ken (@trialsofdraco) January 29, 2017