SIR JOHN HURT
22 January 1940 – 25 January 2017 (age 77)
Cause of Death: Pancreatic Cancer

Believe it or not, John Hurt didn’t die back in 1979 when an alien burst out of his chest on the Nostromo. Instead, he lived until the ripe age of 77, having starred in over 129 films over the span of six decades. He would go on to play the wand maker, Garrick Ollivander, in the Harry Potter films, Professor Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm in the Hellboy films, and almost won an Academy Award in 1979 for his supporting role in Midnight Express and 1981 for his leading role in The Elephant Man. This last year, during the Oscar Challenge, he could be seen alongside Natalie Portman in Jackie and some of his most recent successes, in my personal opinion, were his turns in Snowpiercer and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Ultimately, his most high profile role would be in Ridley Scott’s original Alien film, as he is attacked by the “Face Hugger” and is the first to die, in one of the most iconic science fiction death scenes of all time, which was actually filmed as a surprise to the cast, as they were not aware that the alien would be bursting from his chest, in order to get an authentic reaction. He would eventually reprise the role as a cameo in the spoof, Spaceballs.

JOHN HURT’S FILMOGRAPHY

JOHN HURT’S TELEVISION APPEARANCES