"It would be difficult to have any unfulfilled ambitions because I don't have any ambitions. I've never been that kind of performer."
"Pretending to be other people is my game and that to me is the essence of the whole business of acting."
"We are all racing towards death. No matter how many great, intellectual conclusions we draw during our lives, we know they're all only man-made, like God. I begin to wonder where it all leads. What can you do, except do what you can do as best you know how?"
"I never had any ambition to be a star, or whatever it is called, and I'm still embarrassed at the word."
"Someone once asked me, "Is there anything you regret?" and I said, "Everything!" Whatever you do, there was always a better choice."
Caligula in I, Claudius, "Max" in Midnight Express, John Merrick in The Elephant Man, "Winston Smith" in 1984, Stephen Ward in Scandal, the "War Doctor" in Dr Who; from one of the most memorable movie scenes of all time - the monster bursting from his stomach in Alien - to Harry Potter, from King Lear to the voice of "Hazel" in Watership Down - he played them all.
One of his most memorable roles, of course - and one which made a significant impact on one sad, closeted little Welsh boy [moi] back in the 1970s - was his magnificent portrayal of Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant:
We have lost a giant of stage and screen.
RIP Sir John Vincent Hurt, CBE (22 January 1940 – 25 January 2017)
Fantastic actor. For some reason a movie he made with Christian Bale called "All the Little Animals" comes to mind when I think of John Hurt even though he has had so many outstanding roles.
ReplyDeleteThat's one from "the left field" - I have not heard of All the Little Animals... However, in my opinion anything he appeared in was improved by Mr Hurt's presence - a marvellous actor, indeed. Jx
DeleteWhen the Naked Civil Servant aired on PBS in America it sent shock waves for its depiction of a gay man and his life. Some people reacted as if an X-rated movie had been televised. My grandmother of all people loved it, and PBS has always attracted a more sophisticated audience than commercial TV in the States. Britain can always be counted on to create great actors and cutting-edge TV. -Rj
ReplyDeleteThe UK has - or at least had - the best actors and producers in the world. Unfortunately in recent times, budget-cutting and the rise of social media and the streaming giants has caused quite a knock-on effect on our telly and film output. Jx
DeleteSad to read that. Over here culture is the Kardashians, hope to God the UK doesn't sink or stink that low. -Rj
DeleteIt's getting there, with utter voyeuristic shit like Love Island, Married at First Sight and Naked Attraction spreading their skid-marks across our screens... Jx
DeletePS As for the Kardashians, I hold them 100% responsible for the endemic and hideous "lip-filler" (aka "Trout Pout") look that too many rough women and girls are sporting these days.