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I first saw John Hurt on the big screen in Fred Zinnemann’s “A Man for All Seasons” (1966) with Paul Scofield (Hurt played Richard Rich), and his performance marked him out as an emergence force in British cinema. Four years later, he was the unforgettable Timothy Evans, the innocent framed victim in Richard Fleischer’s “10 Rillington Place” (1970), with Richard Attenborough as the sinister landlord and killer John Christie.

In over 150 roles, he defined himself as the “universal misfit,” a towering performer admired by his peers, and recognised by the director David Lynch as “simply the greatest actor in the world.”

A huge Beatles fan, he forged a connection with the band, appearing in George Harrison’s first cinematic production “Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs” (1974.) In 1982, he guested in one of Paul McCartney’s promo videos, and later narrated a film of the ex-Beatle’s 1989/90 World Tour.

“The Naked Civil Servant” (1975, “Midnight Express” (1978), “Alien” (1979), “The Elephant Man” (1980), “Champions” (1984), “The Field” (1990) etc….. the list is long. Appearances in the “Harry Potter” franchise would latterly bring him a new generation of fans.

A sad loss indeed…………..