John Hurt
He’s had strong roles in the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and 00’s, although he had a real hot streak from 1980-1984, a period that saw the release of The Elephant Man, The Hit, and 1984 (cannily released in 1984, co-starring Richard Burton in the definitive version; I saw it as a part of a feel-good doubleheader; it was immediately followed by Dead Ringers. I then went home and tried to jab a fork in my eye to get those images out of my head.)
I like Hurt; he’s got the sort of craggy countenance that allows him to play either jolly, imposing, or genuinely creepy. He still shows up consistently in high profile summer films like the Harry Potter series, and just this week in the latest installment of Indiana Jones.
Ten best roles
10) Rob Roy 9) Midnight Express 8) 10 Rillington Place 7) The Hit 6) Scandal 5) Beyond the Gates 4) Hellboy 3) Love and Death on Long Island 2) 1984 1) The Elephant Man
Percentile rating
96.49
May 27th, 2008 at 11:11 am
And he was great with his crystal skull!!
June 6th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Ow? this joke ages fast. By only focusing on film you miss out on his greatest role ever, Caligula in the BBC production of I,Claudius. I do like him whenever I get to see him on film though.