Actor Sir John Hurt Dies, Aged 77

The legendary actor Sir John Hurt has died, aged 77.

The Elephant Man star, whose career has spanned more than six decades, had recently battled pancreatic cancer.

But in October 2015, he was given the all clear.

At the time he said: 'I am overjoyed, I am thrilled. It all looks great for the future, it's fantastic.'

In July that year he received his knighthood, and said : "It does make one inordinately proud."

He is survived by his wife Anwen Rees-Myers. The couple had been married for 12 years.

Hurt had recently starred in Oscar nominated biopic of President John F. Kennedy's widow, Jackie, which is currently showing in cinemas.

Hurt rose to fame in A Man For All Seasons in 1966 and then stared in Hollywood blockbusters such as Alien, Winston Smith in the adaptation of George Orwell's 1984 and the Harry Potter franchise.

The double Oscar nominee also starhad prominent TV roles in Doctor Who, The Naked Civil Servant and The Gruffalo.

In his early years he was notorious for his wild lifestyle and once describe his career as not bad "for an old drunk".

After cutting down on his drinking, Hurt poured his energies into his acting work.

In 2012, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts honoured him with a lifetime achievement award.

The actor's official website and Facebook and Twitter accounts have been closed down.

JOHN HURT'S CAREER

Having started off his screen career in BBC police favourite Z Cars back in the sixties in a one-off role, John Hurt soon found his star rising and in 1966 he gained acclaim for his turn in A Man For All Seasons, playing Rich.

Starring alongside the likes of Orsen Welles and Robert Shaw in the period piece about Thomas Moore, Hurt made waves in Hollywood.

A stream of iconic roles soon feel into the British star's including his iconic turn in Ridley Scott's 1979 horror classic, Alien, in which Hurt famously died on-screen as an alien "chestburster" erupted from his sternum - a moment which has gone down in cinematic history.

His turn as John Merrick in The Elephant Man the following year saw him nominated for the biggest prize in Hollywood, an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

Since then the Derbyshire-born actor remained an enigmatic and much-beloved presence on the screen.

Other notable roles for the actor included the lead role in the big screen adaption of George Orwell's 1984 opposite Richard Burton.

In more recent years the actor has made star turns in the likes of the blockbuster Harry Potter series, playing the wandmaker Ollivander from 2001-2011.

He also starred in the Oscar-nominated Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy in 2011 alongside Gary Oldman, and even had a turn in the BBC's revamped Doctor Who as the haunted 'War Doctor' in 2013.

He was still working up to his death, having been attached to World War II drama Darkest Hour, which saw him playing besieged PM Neville Chamberlain alongside Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill and Ben Mendelsohn as King George VI.

JOHN HURT'S ACCOLADES

Sir John Hurt was a multi-award winning actor in an illustrious six-decade career.

He won a Golden Globe and four BAFTA Awards and was also nominated for two Oscars.

The Academy Awards nominations were for Best Actor in a Leading Role in The Elephant Man in 1981 and Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Midnight Express in 1979.

He won a Golden Globe in the same category for Midnight Express, where he played the character Max.

His acting talents in The Elephant Man, where he plays Londoner John (Joseph) Merrick, saw him nominated for a Golden Globe in the US in the Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama category.

At the BAFTAs, he won Best Actor in 1976 and 1981 for The Naked Civil Servant and The Elephant Man.

He also earned Best Supporting Actor for Midnight Express in 1979 and Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema in 2012.

Hurt was nominated for Best Actor in 2010 for An Englishman in New York and Best Supporting Actor in 10 Rillington Place in 1972 and Alien in 1979.