The son of a clergyman, John Vincent Hurt was born Jan. 22, 1940, in Shirebrook, England, later escaping his restrictive life to train as a painter. He studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and spent much of his early career in the theatre, finally making a name for himself as a film actor in A Man for All Seasons (1966).Usually opting for roles in darker works, Hurt took parts in the epic miniseries I, Claudius (as Caligula) and movies such as Midnight Express (for which he earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination), Alien (as the chest-bursting Kane), 1984 and Scandal. Hurt earned a Best Actor nomination for his title role in The Elephant Man (1980).
Beginning in the 1990s, Hurt took on more mainstream work in films such as Contact (1997), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) and Hellboy (2004).
MerlinA family-oriented retelling of the popular King Arthur legend finds Merlin (Colin Morgan) arriving in Camelot, where magic is banned. There, he clandestinely hones his sorcery skills with the help of his uncle (Richard Wilson), the court physician. Meanwhile, Merlin strikes up a reluctant truce with... Read More
Human PlanetThis sweeping documentary series explores the daily interaction between humans and the natural world, taking viewers to witness reindeer herding in Norway, icebreaking in Ottawa and tree house building in West Papua, among other amazing stories. Read More
All the Little AnimalsAfter refusing to hand over the family business to his conniving stepfather, mentally challenged teen Bobby Platt escapes to the countryside, where he meets a strange old hermit who's made it his mission to bury roadkill. Read More
Love and Death on Long IslandWell-known British author Giles De'ath (John Hurt) abhors the modern world and avoids it at all costs. When he gets locked out of his home, however, he ends up attending the movies ... and subsequently changes his life. De'ath is about to walk out on the decidedly lowbrow teen flick when he spots a... Read More
