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JOHN HURT (Felix) was born in 1940, the son of an Anglican vicar and an amateur actress. He attended schools in Kent and Lincoln, worked as a stagehand with the Lincoln Repertory and studied Art at St. Martin's School, London before winning a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Hurt is one of Britain's best known, critically acclaimed and most versatile actors. He made his West End debut in 1962 and went on to take the 1963 Critics Award for Most Promising Actor in Harold Pinter's "The Dwarfs.” On the stage, he has also appeared in Pinter's "The Caretaker,” O'Casey's "Shadow of a Gunman,” Stoppard's "Travesties” for the Royal Shakespeare Company and Turgenev's "A Month in the Country.” In 2000, he gave a greatly acclaimed performance in Samuel Beckett's "Krapp's Last Tape” in London's West End.

Hurt's impressive body of television work commenced in 1961 and has included such notable roles as "I, Claudius,” Raskolnikov in "Crime and Punishment” and, most memorably, Quentin Crisp in the autobiographical "The Naked Civil Servant” (for which he received a Best Actor Emmy® and a BAFTA Best Television Actor Award). This portrayal led Crisp to opine that "John Hurt is my representative here on Earth.”

It was his defining film roles as Max in "Midnight Express” (1978) and as John Merrick in "The Elephant Man” (1980) that thrust him into the international spotlight, with Oscar® nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor respectively. His other film work includes a trio of roles in 1984 which rewarded him with the Evening Standard Award for Best Actor for that year for: "1984,” "The Hit” and "Champions.” His many films include "A Man For All Seasons,” "The Field,” "Scandal,” "Rob Roy,” John Boorman's "Two Nudes Bathing” for which he received a Cable Ace Award in 1995, and an acclaimed performance in Richard Kwietniowski's "Love and Death on Long Island.” He was also seen as Dr. Iannis in "Captain Corelli's Mandolin,” directed by John Madden.

In 1999, Hurt filmed Beckett's "Krapp's Last Tape,” directed by Atom Egoyan, and "Tabloid TV,” directed by David Blair in 2000. He went on to make "Miranda,” "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone” and "Owning Mahony,” directed by Richard Kwietniowski.

In 2002, John Hurt won the Variety Club Award for Outstanding Performance in a Stage Play, alongside Penelope Wilton, for their performances in Brian Friel's "Afterplay.” This was followed by the film "Hellboy” and the BBC production of "The Alan Clark Diaries,” which received great critical acclaim.

Recently he filmed "Skeleton Key” for Universal, "Shooting Dogs” and "The Proposition.”

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