Actor John Hurt, notable for roles in "Alien," "The Elephant Man" and "1984," has died, according to a report from E! News. He was 77 years old.
KTLA, citing U.K. tabloid The Daily Mirror, reported that Hurt had been battling cancer.
Born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England on January 22, 1940, Hurt began acting on the stage in 1962.
Hurt may be most notable for having an alien burst out of his chest in the 1979 science fiction film "Alien."
In 1980, Hurt filmed "The Elephant Man," playing the title role and earning an Oscar nomination for his work. He previously won a Best Supporting actor Oscar for his role in 1978's " Midnight Express."
Hurt played protagonist Winston Smith in the film adaptation of George Orwell's novel "1984," released the same year as the name of the book.
He appeared in another film adaptation of a book in 2001, portraying Mr. Ollivander in "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" and returning to the same role in 2010's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1" and 2011's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2."
In 2012, he earned a British Academy of Film and Television Arts Lifetime Achievement Award.
Queen Elizabeth II awarded Hurt a knighthood July 17, 2015 at Windsor Castle in London.
He is survived by his wife of 12 years, Anwen Rees-Myers, and sons Alexander John Vincent Hurt and Nicholas Dalton Hurt, from a previous marriage.
WFTV
