The world woke up to the devastating new this morning. An actor that featured prominently in my childhood has passed away. Sir John Hurt was a BAFTA award winning performer, who appeared in Alien, The Elephant Man and Harry Potter.
An incredibly talented actor, Hurt was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015. After being given the all-clear, on advice from his doctors he pulled out of Kenneth Branagh’s production of The Entertainer last year. It has been confirmed that he died on Wednesday at his home in Norfolk.
Hurt was a versatile actor with a gentle heart. He was knighted in 2015 for his services to drama and appeared in more than one hundred and twenty roles. He had the incredible ability to portray a variety of characters, without the fear of being typecast and made a strong career that spanned decades.
He continued to work up until his death, and will appear in the December released Darkest Hour, starring Gary Oldman.
His wife Anwen Rees-Myers led the tributes to the veteran actor this morning.
“He touched all our lives with joy and magic and it will be a strange world without him”.
J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books tweeted:
“So very sad to hear that the immensely talented and deeply beloved John Hurt has died. My thoughts are with his family and friends”.
Stephen Fry admired Sir John for being “great on the stage, small screen and big”.
&Peace.Love.JohnHurt
