English actor John Hurt died at the age of 77, according to a report by the Mirror’s Claire Rutter (h/t NYDailyNews.com).
Before his death, Hurt spoke about meeting death without fear to RadioTimes.com in August 2015. After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just two months earlier, Hurt said he still has thought about it.
“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.” Hurt said, per RadioTimes.com’s James Gill. “We’re all just passing time and occupy our chair very briefly.”
Though, how Hurt died exactly is still uncertain, as Hurt told a crowd at the 2015 Man Booker Prize ceremony that he no longer had cancer. Hurt told RadioTimes.com that he was optimistic about his treatment and that it was going “terrifically well.”
Hurt was most recently a part of 2016’s Jackie, starring Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy. Before that, he was nominated for two Oscars. In 1978 he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Midnight Express, and, in 1980, he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role in The Elephant Man. Hurt, who also won four of his eight BAFTA nominations, won a Golden Globe for his part in Midnight Express.
The Harry Potter actor was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2015.
