Prolific actor and all around badass, Sir John Vincent Hurt, has left this plane, following in the footsteps of his fellow fallen icons faster than we can grieve. He was 77. After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015, Hurt was given the all clear from his doctor. He continued to work throughout his treatment, only adding further to his overall magic as an actor and human being. Even with his healthy prognosis, Hurt unfortunately succumbed to illness linked to his cancer.
The son of an amateur actress/engineer, and a mathematician who would later become a vicar, Hurt began his life in an odd position.Due to his father’s position he was denied much of the basic happiness that most children take for granted, including hanging out with other children as his parents thought they were beneath him. When Hurt was 8, he was sent to preparatory school where he quickly developed his love of acting which, lucky for us, he would continue to pursue for the rest of his life.
When Hurt was a teenager he went to art school, gaining critical acclaim and eventually making enough in scholarship money to enroll in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Hurt spent the early 60’s acting in small roles on television, quickly landing larger roles that would help him gain recognition and praise. Most of his early work was based in the UK, though any pop culture fanatic would be hard pressed to forget his iconic role in 1979’s sci-fi thriller Alien. The following year Hurt would star in The Elephant Man as lead character John Merrick, setting the standard for both film and theater when it came to the portrayal of the real life medical oddity.
Many remember him in Jim Henson’s The Storyteller, a whimsical series that used both live action and puppetry to portray obscure folk tales. Hurt acted as the narrator, bookending each story and sharing the screen with his realistic Henson heavy puppet dog. Additionally his role as Olivander in the Harry Potter series allowed him to impact a whole new generation. Hurt’s cultural significance knows no bounds as his impact on film surpassed the usual boundaries dividing heavily known British mainstays and American classics.
Hurt had a long history of relationship hopping; he was married four times, though his longest relationship was to French model Marie-Lise Volpeliere-Pierrot. The two had planned on getting married, but Volpeliere-Pierrot was injured in a freak riding accident and died soon after. Hurt has two children with his third wife, whom he married in the same month he divorced his second. He married his fourth wife, advertising film producer Anwen Rees-Meyers in 2005, and the two stayed together until his death.
In 2015 Hurt was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, earning the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He supported both the Proteus Syndrome Foundation and Project Harar. After his role in Elephant Man, Hurt strived to help those in need. His character was thought to have suffered from Proteus Syndrome, a congenital disorder that leads to odd bone structure, skin overgrowth, and multiple tumors that tend to cover the sufferer’s’ body. In the same vein, Project Harar supports Ethiopian children who suffer from facial deformities. Hurt was quiet about his philanthropy, donating money without the acclaim.
The unfortunate side effects of watching our favorite actors die has become overshadowed by the massive admiration for their work. For some Hurt will forever act as the catalyst that brought the chestburster to fruition, terrifying both his scene partners and audiences alike. For others he will act as the static British badass, populating our screens with his skills until the world finally falls into oblivion. If there’s one thing we can learn from Hurt’s legacy, it’s that the only thing stopping us from reaching our full potential is ourselves. Through pain and adversity comes something beautiful, and as we reach into both the joys and horrors of what life can be, it’s important to dwell on the figures that paved the way for those less deserving, introducing a magical world we can all live in for eternity.
