John Hurt Dies Age 77

Started by SiL, Jan 28, 2017, 01:27:27 AM

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John Hurt Dies Age 77 (Read 18,160 times)

SuicideDoors

SuicideDoors

#30
Rest in peace. Truly wonderful actor.

You can't help but worry about losing the legends in front of and behind the cameras for your favourite movies. So inspiring  :(

HuDaFuK

HuDaFuK

#31
Well this is really shitty news to wake up to... :(

Was watching him in Hercules just the other night. Not exactly the greatest masterpiece he's ever been in, but as usual he brought a touch of class to it.

Also I genuinely thought he was much older than 77.

Shakermakeruk

Shakermakeruk

#32
Rip very sad news.

SM

SM

#33
I was only thinking the other day how remarkable that all the (human) cast of Alien were still with us, especially since the none of the men were young (Hurt being the youngest at 39).

I really thought the cancer would do him in since pancreatic generally takes no prisoners (and took my mother in law on this day in 2012).

While it's sad, you have to look at his remarkable body of work and how he elevated everything he was in.  Have a look at the script for the chestburster scene in Alien and it's cringe inducing.  What Hurt brought was utter brilliance.  You really believed this guy had something eating it's way out of him, such was the appalling quality of his screaming.  Obviously I don't mean his performance was appalling, but we as the audience were appalled at what befell him.

He was truly a class act.

Corporal Hicks

Corporal Hicks

#34
Great story from CdL -

QuoteSo sad to hear about the passing of the great John Hurt.

I had the honor of working with him on his ALIEN audio commentary about 15 years ago. Some years before map apps, I found myself lost and wandering around the Soho area of London looking for De Lane Lea Studios where the recording session was to take place and I was worried I was going to be late. Then I happened to notice none other than Mr. Hurt himself strolling down the street in the opposite direction. Me being pretty shy normally, I followed him at some distance, trying not to seem like a stalker. And sure enough, he led me right to where I needed to be. As I entered the lobby, I heard him tell the receptionist, "I'm here to see Charlie," at which point I finally introduced myself and we were off and running. He hadn't quite gotten the hang of doing commentaries when we started (you can hear him practically shout his introduction over the Fox fanfare on the ALIEN cast commentary) and my jet lag and relative inexperience at the time only added to the awkwardness. And yet after a few minutes, we all settled down and I enjoyed quite a pleasant, informative conversation with the man while watching the film. He really seemed to enjoy that his small part in ALIEN not only had a major impact on the film, but had also provided such an iconic moment in film history.

As much as I will always remember Hurt as the (very) unfortunate Kane in ALIEN, even more so, I will remember him for his stunning, beautiful performance in David Lynch's THE ELEPHANT MAN. As a child, it was the first film to ever make me cry, and that was due in large part to Hurt's extraordinary turn as John Merrick. The delicate dignity and emotional power of that performance is simply unforgettable. Yes, he had a long, interesting acting career, with MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, 1984 and CONTACT being just a few of my favorites. But it's still sad to see such an interesting and brave performer depart. Rest in peace, good sir.

Nyarlathotep

Nyarlathotep

#35
Farewell John. While you may no longer be here your work will remain with us forever.

Gazz

Gazz

#36
Felt compelled to write a few words on his passing since he was a favourite actor of mine and has been for as long as i can remember. Won't post the link, but here's what I had to say:

I hardly know where to start when recalling the career of the man. From his physically demanding and emotionally devastating performance as John Merick in David Lynch's The Elephant Man to his brief but iconic portrayal of tyrant-dictator Adam Sutler in V for Vendetta, John Hurt has been responsible for a great many of cinemas most memorable characters. He has worked playful wonders with shlock genre material (Roger Corman's Frankenstein Unbound), brought much needed gravitas to fantastical landscapes (Guillermo Del Toro's Hellboy series), quietly overwhelmed us with very few words (Michael Radford's 1984), shone a harsh light on the plight of the mistreated (The Naked Civil Servant) or simply provided an engaging voice to guide us through the minds of villains (Perfume: Story of a Murderer). I could go on forever with mention of his roles in The Proposition, Harry Potter, Doctor Who and more. His filmography offers an embarrassment of riches! John Hurt was a man of many talents, who constantly broke through genre barriers to become a legend of the screen. And of these great many memorable and entertaining roles the one that I suspect will be recalled most is his turn as Kane in Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror classic, Alien. And for damn good reason.

After the release of Star Wars, Hollywood was in a frenzy to find the next science-fiction epic to rocket them to millions. During that time a script entitled "Alien" by little known writers Dan O' Bannon and Ronald Shusset fell onto the desk of producing partners Walter Hill and David Giler. The immediate reaction was unfavourable. David Giler described the script as 'terrible' while Walter Hill stated he 'didn't think much of it' in an interview with Film International. However both of them agreed that 'it did have this one sensational scene'. A scene of such horror that it would continue to resonate with audiences over thirty years later. A scene that entirely hinged on the excellence and bravura of an outstanding John Hurt. It would be unwise to recount it in light of this news, but I feel it must be acknowledged that the scene's legendary status is in no small part due to the actor at it's centre. Sure, a great deal of technical wizardry provided ample shock and disgust, but John Hurt sold us tangible terror. A fear that grounded this sci-fi in a feeling of real-world horror. In that moment John Hurt played an enormous part in elevating this once 'terrible' script to the level of a genuine classic (one of many in his endlessly impressive oeuvre).

Goodbye, John Hurt. You will be missed.

Bojo

Bojo

#37
R.I.P To one of Britain's most iconic actors.Will be sorely missed for his family,friends and us film fans.

chainsawsquirrel

chainsawsquirrel

#38
RIP John Hurt </3 One of my favourite actors, poor old man :( he shall be missed

BonesawT101

BonesawT101

#39
RIP John, one of the most versatile and talented actors of a his generation, who of course will be remembered for starring in so many great films. Including of course bringing 'life' to arguably the greatest death scene in cinematic history.

Whiskeybrewer

Whiskeybrewer

#40
Heartbreaking to hear this news when i woke up this morning.

He's left behind such a great body of work and will be remembered in many different communities for many years to come

Perfect-Organism

Perfect-Organism

#41
Sad news.  Rest in peace John..

Le Celticant

Le Celticant

#42
I wonder if before dying he said "I can't lie to you about your chances... but you have my sympathy"  :D

I'll miss a great actor, especially his role in Alien, what a performance to get chesbursted and V for Vendetta.

RIP.

Gridseeker

Gridseeker

#43
DonĀ“t forget 1984 film.
RIP John, you will be missed.

Richman678

Richman678

#44
A great man has left us.

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