John Hurt
On the day we sent away the Year of the Monkey, life, old age, illness and death are still playing in this world. On January 27, British local time, John Hurt, a veteran film star who starred in classic movies such as "1984" and "Elephant Man", died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 77.
John Hurt was born on 22 January 1940 (yes, less than a week after his 77th birthday) in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, where his cleric father disciplined him from an early age, and although his home was near the cinema, Hutt was never allowed to walk into it as a child.
Far from the screen, Hurt fell in love with stage performances while studying. He once revealed in an interview that he aspired to become an actor at the age of 9. At the age of 20, he joined the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA), laying a solid foundation for becoming a professional actor.
John Hurt in his youth.
In 1962, Hurt officially stepped down from film. 1966's A Man for All Seasons made him known to Hollywood.
The role of an addict in 1978's Midnight Express brought him two honors, the British Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor, and lost to Christopher Walken of "Deer Hunter" when he hit the Oscars.
1978's Midnight Express brought John Hurt to two honors, the British Academy Award and the American Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.
What made him famous among ordinary audiences was the role of Kent, the commander of the spaceship attacked by the "face-hugging worm" in the science fiction masterpiece "Alien" released in 1979, and the scene where the alien broke out of his chest has long been recorded in the history of science fiction.
In 1980, Hurt starred in David Lynch's The Elephant Man, which won the British Academy Award for Film. At that year's Oscars, "The Elephant Man" received 8 nominations, but in the end, it was not successful, and Hutt also lost to Robert De Niro of "Raging Bull" in the competition for the best actor award.
And Hurt once commented on "The Elephant Man": "If you have not been impressed after watching this movie, then I can only say that I am not interested in knowing people like you." ”
Wizard shop owner in Harry Potter.
In 1984, British director Michael Redford brought George Orwell's novel 1984 to the screen, and John Hurt, who played the protagonist Winston, was highly praised by film critics such as Roger Ebert.
In 2009, the British "Paper Zoo" troupe performed the stage play "1984", and specially invited Hurt to play the role of "Big Brother", which aroused people's imagination.
Hurt played the protagonist Winston in the film of the same name based on George Orwell's novel 1984.
After entering the new century, Hurt, who has passed the age of flower armor, has not stopped the pace of creation, and continues to shape a variety of new screen images, leaving a deep impression on a new generation of film audiences.
Among them, there are not many magic wand shop owners in the Harry Potter series of movies, the British dictator in "V-Kills" (Hutt called it "when 1984 meets Alien"),, the boss of the back car in "Snow Train", and even the role of "Doctor War" in the British drama "Doctor Who".
The rear car boss in "Snow Country Train" is one of the more impressive in Hutt's recent works.
In addition to various film and television performances, Hurt is also a veteran voice actor, having worked as a voice actor in the classic cartoons Watership Down and The Lord of the Rings as early as the 1970s.
In recent years, the narration in the literary films "Dogtown" and "Perfume" has also come from john Hett's voice, which has become more and more powerful over the years.
He once said: "I've always thought sound was important in movies. Sound should be 50% of an actor's ability, just as important as appearance, whether your performance is on stage or on the screen. If you think of any great Star in America, you're sure to remember their voices and appearances at the same time, from Clark Gable to Rock Hudson. ”
David Lynch's The Elephant Man brought Hurt an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
In 2012, Hurt was awarded the British Academy Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2015, the Queen awarded him the Knighthood in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the field of performance.
But Hurt himself has never taken such accolades very seriously: "I'm not interested in awards, I don't think those are important. Of course, if someone gives me any awards, then I am also grateful, because that is a good thing. I just don't think that should be something you're trying to pursue. The award has put our industry on the wrong track, and we are not athletes, and we are not the first to run. ”
Hurt played the British dictator in V-Vendetta.
In June 2015, Hurt announced that he had suffered from cancer, but he was obsessed with acting and decided to continue filming while treating.
Four months after the surgery, Hurt returned to work, starring in new films such as "The Journey" and "Jackie" in a row.
John Hurt had four marriages in his lifetime, but the first three lasted only a few years before breaking up.
At the age of 27, he had been separated from his first wife for three years, and he met and fell in love with the French female model Marie-Lisse Woperier-Pirlo, and after more than ten years of love and long-distance running, the two were ready to officially register for marriage, but in 1983, Mary fell to her death while riding a horse, bringing Hurt a long-lasting and unhealable wound.
In an interview, John Hurt said, "People like us who take out our hearts and use them as professionals are more likely to fall into emotional struggles than married people." I know I'm playing with fire, so it's not surprising that I'm not an ideal partner for living at home. ”