British actor John Hurt, star of Harry Potter and ‘The Elephant Man,’ dies aged 77

British actor John Hurt, a two-time Oscar nominee who played a wide variety of roles on film, TV and in theater, has died aged 77 from pancreatic cancer, family members confirmed Saturday. The actor, who was critically acclaimed for his portrayal of Caligula in the highly regarded TV series “I Claudius”, as well as John Merrick in David Lynch’s “The Elephant Man” and wand expert Mr Ollivander in the “Harry Potter” films, was a character actor with a distinctive, smoky voice, who worked on both sides of the Atlantic in small, independent films as well as blockbusters.

Widow pays tribute to ‘most sublime of actors’ Sir John Hurt

The widow of Sir John Hurt has said it will be a “strange world” without the veteran actor following his death at the age of 77. Anwen Hurt said that the Oscar-nominated star died at his home in Norfolk on Wednesday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. In a statement to the Press Association, she said: “It is with deep sadness that I have to confirm that my husband, John Vincent Hurt, died on Wednesday 25th January 2017 at home in Norfolk.

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The Oscar-nominated star was well-known for roles including Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant, the title role in The Elephant Man and wand merchant Mr Ollivander in the Harry Potter films. The British actor was nominated for two Academy Awards, for The Elephant Man and Midnight Express, and won four Bafta Awards, including a lifetime achievement recognition for his outstanding contribution to British cinema in 2012.