How Did John Hurt, Harry Potter Star And Elephant Man, Die?

Two-time Oscar nominee Sir John Hurt, who starred in blockbuster films like "The Elephant Man," "Midnight Express," "Alien" and the "Harry Potter" movies in a career spanning six decades, died Friday at the age of 77, his agent confirmed to BBC.

The cause of his death was not immediately reported, but Hurt had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015.

"I can't say I worry about mortality, but it's impossible to get to my age and not have a little contemplation of it. We're all just passing time, and occupy our chair very briefly," Hurt told the Radio Times after the diagnosis. But in October 2015, he announced he was "thrilled" to have had his final scan, "and it's all gone brilliantly."

Hurt was born Jan. 22, 1940, in Chesterfield in Derbyshire, England, and graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1962. He appeared in more than 120 films as well as numerous stage and television roles. Hurt is survived by his wife of 12 years, Anwen Rees Meyers, a former actress and classical pianist.

He made his film debut in the same year of his graduation in "The Wild and the Willing" and his first professional appearance on the London stage in "Infanticide in the House of Fred Ginger." Wider film success came in 1966 with his portrayal of the deceitful Richard Rich in "A Man For All Seasons." He earned his first BAFTA award in 1976, for playing gay author and raconteur Quentin Crisp in the 1975 TV film "The Naked Civil Servant."

Hurt's portrayal of imprisoned heroin addict Max in "Midnight Express" (1978) earned the actor his first Golden Globe and another BAFTA win as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor (1979). He is remembered for his iconic roles including Ridley Scott's 1979 horror classic "Alien," in which Hurt famously died on-screen as an alien 'chestburster' erupted from his sternum — a moment which has gone down in cinematic history. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in "10 Rillington Place" in 1972 and "Alien" in 1979.

His acting skills in David Lynch's "The Elephant Man" (1980), where he plays the role of John Merrick, saw him nominated for a Golden Globe in the Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama category.

In "The Sorcerer's Stone" as well as "The Deathly Hallows" parts 1 and 2 films of the Harry Potter series, Hurt played the small but important role of Mr. Ollivander, a wand merchant. His other recent movies include "V for Vendetta" (2006), "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008) and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" (2011).

In 2012, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts honored him with a lifetime achievement award.

In 2013, Hurt appeared in the cult favorite "Doctor Who" series as Doctor War. He appeared opposite Dwayne Johnson in the action epic "Hercules" the following year. Hurt also had a role in the dramatic action series "The Last Panthers" (2015). In 2016, he played a priest in "Jackie," a biopic about former first lady Jackie Kennedy.

John Hurt was knighted in 2015 for his services to drama.

"John Hurt is simply the greatest actor in the world," Lynch told the New York Times in 1990 after the success of "The Elephant Man."

The film critic and historian Geoff Andrew asked Hurt how he managed to regularly turn in such memorable performances."The only way I can describe it is that I put everything I can into the mulberry of my mind and hope that it is going to ferment and make a decent wine," Hurt reportedly said. "How that process happens, I'm sorry to tell you I can't describe."

Hurt had been an inspiration to a lot of people in the industry and his sudden demise led to several reactions on social media.