John Hurt, star of Alien, Hellboy and The Elephant Man, has died

With a career spanning six-decades and appearances in some of the biggest and most celebrated movies of our time, it is with extreme sadness that I must report that the immensely talented John Hurt has passed away at the age of 77.

Born in 1940, John Hurt knew from a young age that he wanted to be an actor, and, despite his parents pushing him towards a career as an art teacher and his headmaster at the time telling him that he "wouldn't stand a chance in the profession," Hurt later won an acting scholarship at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where he studied for two years. John Hurt would soon gain critical acclaim and recognition with roles in A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, MIDNIGHT EXPRESS as well as the BBC's miniseries I, Claudius, in which he played Caligula. The dawn of a new decade brought perhaps Hurt's most well known characters, that of Kane in Ridley Scott's ALIEN and John Merrick in David Lynch's THE ELEPHANT MAN, a role which saw him nominated for Best Actor at both the Oscars and the Golden Globes, despite being buried under heavy prosthetics which took up to eight hours to apply.

John Hurt would continue working steadily throughout the years, with roles in 1984, SPACEBALLS, ROB ROY and CONTACT, but when he took on the role of Mr. Ollivander in HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE, a role which he would reprise in HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 1 & 2, his work would be introduced to an entirely new generation of fans. Hurt would also appear as Professor Trevor "Broom" Bruttenholm in both HELLBOY and HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY, Adam Sutler in V FOR VENDETTA and Dr. Harold Oxley in INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL.

I could continue prattling on about all the great movies John Hurt has been a part of, such as SNOWPIERCER and PERFUME: THE STORY OF A MURDERER, but I think we're all familiar with his body of work and the amazing legacy which he's left behind. His rich, distinctive voice and undeniable talent will remain a part of cinema history forever, and he will certainly be missed.