John Hurt
John Hurt
Sir John Vincent Hurt, CBE is an English actor whose career has spanned six decades. He initially came to prominence for his supporting role as Richard Rich in the film A Man for All Seasons. Since then he has played leading roles as Quentin Crisp in the film The Naked Civil Servant, John Merrick in David Lynch's biopic The Elephant Man, Winston Smith in the dystopian drama Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mr. Braddock in the Stephen Frears drama The Hit, and Stephen...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionActor
Date of Birth22 January 1940
beauty blowing blown boy claim influenced life love mad paper piece scene watching wind
I'd love to claim that what I have done in my life is of my doing, but it's not of my doing at all. I've blown around in the wind like a mad thing, influenced by this and that - like a piece of paper: like the boy in that scene in 'American Beauty' watching a piece of paper blowing hither and thither.
bit came enjoyed gets musical
I'm not really a big musical fan. I enjoyed 'West Side Story' when it came out, but it gets a bit tired in the end.
given gives interested ought somebody thank
I'm not interested in awards. I never have been. I don't think they are important. Don't get me wrong, if somebody gives me a prize, I thank them as gratefully as I know how, because it's very nice to be given a prize. But I don't think that awards ought to be sought.
hankering particular parts played
I'm essentially the result of other people's imagination. And that's fine. Because of other people's imagination, I've played parts I would never have thought I could do. Still, I've never had a hankering or an ambition for any particular role.
drama heck left might paid school straight
I left drama school and went straight into a 10-week film for which I was paid $75 I might say, which for 1962 was one heck of a lot of money.
age knew
I knew I wanted to act from a very young age - from about nine, really - but I didn't know how to go about it. I had no idea. The world was a much bigger place then.
I like entertaining. I adore it. I feel I'm in the right place. Without question.
drank drink enjoying feeling fuller fun genuinely high huge kite laughter lousy mainly night prolong time towards
The drink was effecting me badly. I was feeling lousy especially in the morning. Now I have a much fuller time with people. The more you don't drink the more you find you can be high as a kite anyway. I had huge fun when I was drinking. But towards the end I was not genuinely enjoying it. I drank mainly for enthusiasm, to prolong the night and the laughter and the conversation.
anger deeper difference easy escape feeling money remorse
The difference between anger and deep remorse - remorse is much fatter. It's a deeper feeling altogether. Anger is too easy an escape for my money.
absolutely learnt
The first thing you have to get used to in any kind of acting is the ability to make a fool of yourself. If you haven't learnt how to make a fool of yourself, you shouldn't be on the boards. That's absolutely what it's all about.
national terrific
The English National Opera does have some terrific productions, which are accessible, and they're not too ridiculously expensive.
built far gotten overhead structures work
You can see the overhead structures that have been built up to the interstate. We've gotten about as far as we can go and now we have to work over the interstate.
listen love pipes
I love the uilleann pipes and listen to Ronan Browne who's an uilleann piper.
cutting weakness humans
You have to learn to cut your cloth accordingly. But it seems to be a human weakness. Once you start making a lot of money, you just join in with everyone else. It's like the banks, and we've seen what happens there.