Sir John Hurt enjoyed a distinguished career spanning over five decades, becoming one of Britain's most accomplished and instantly recognisable performers. He gained prominence through landmark roles including Kane in Alien (1979), the title role in David Lynch's The Elephant Man (1980), and an Oscar-nominated performance in Midnight Express (1978). His range extended to television, notably as Caligula in the BBC's I, Claudius (1976), and he later introduced a new generation to his distinctive voice as the War Doctor in Doctor Who (2013). He received four BAFTAs, a Golden Globe and two Academy Award nominations across his career.