Sir John Hurt, who won Oscar nominations for the Elephant Man and captured the hearts of millions for his roles in Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, has died.

The star, one of Britain's most treasured actors, died aged 77 at his home in Norfolk after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, it was revealed today.

His widow, Anwen Hurt, today said it will be 'a strange world' with out the actor, whose death has prompted an outpouring of grief from the showbusiness industry, with director Mel Brooks and J K Rowling among those paying tribute.

Mrs Hurt added: 'John was the most sublime of actors and the most gentlemanly of gentlemen with the greatest of hearts and the most generosity of spirit. He touched all our lives with joy and magic and it will be a strange world without him.'

Sir John 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.

Sir John Hurt, the two-time Oscar nominated star of the Elephant Man, has died, aged 77 after battling with cancer

The Derbyshire-born star has been an enigmatic and much-beloved presence on the screen for more than six decades. He is survived by his wife of 12 years Anwen Rees-Myers (pictured together at Wimbledon last year)

In July 2015 he received a knighthood (pictured left), and said he wished his parents had been alive to see him presented with the honor

Mel Brooks hailed him as a 'truly magnificent talent' while Harry Potter author JK Rowling called him 'immensely talented and deeply beloved'.

Hurt bounced back from pancreatic cancer in October 2015 and signed on to appear in a West End production of The Entertainer, only to pull out on the advice of his doctors after he was taken to the hospital with an intestinal complaint.

Despite revealing that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the summer of 2015, Hurt was matter-of-fact about his mortality.

Speaking to the Radio Times, he said: '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,' he said.

In the autumn of 2015, Hurt announced he was in remission and vowed to continue working.

Despite the all-clear, Sir John continued to endure periods of ill health. He suffered intestinal complaints and was forced to withdraw from a West End production of The Entertainer last July.

Hurt, whose death was confirmed by his agent Charles McDonald on Saturday, is survived by wife Anwen Rees-Myers, and sons, Alexander and Nick, from his third marriage with Jo Dalton.

He died on Wednesday, January 25, but had been working on a number of films set for release this year.

In one, That Good Night, he plays a once-famous writer who is terminally ill, perhaps channelling his own experiences.

He is also due to star in a film called Darkest Hour, about the early days of the Second World War. Hurt was due to play Neville Chamberlain alongside Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, although the movie has not yet finished filming.

His acting aspirations were almost shattered by his headmaster as a young boy, but he plucked up the courage and successfully auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London

The English actor, born in Derbyshire in 1940, became a critical and commercial success in films like Midnight Express, Alien and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

The son of a vicar and an engineer, Hurt spent what he described as a lonely childhood at an Anglo-Catholic prep school before he enrolled at a boarding school in Lincoln.

His acting aspirations were almost shattered forever by his headmaster's insistence that he did not stand a chance in the profession.

He left school to go to art college but dropped out, impoverished and living in a dismal basement flat.

He finally plucked up enough courage to apply for a scholarship and auditioned successfully for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, although he later recalled being so hungry he could hardly deliver his lines.

Hurt played a wide range of characters over the course of 60 years, from a mad Roman emperor to a pimp on the road to stardom; a circus freak, to a heroin-addicted prisoner.

He was best-known for his portrayals of the famously misunderstood and he took an instinctive approach to his craft, believing that method acting was for people with no imagination.

Hurt once told the British film critic Geoff Andrew: '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.

'How that process happens, I'm sorry to tell you I can't describe.'

Hurt was born in Chesterfield in 1940. The son of a vicar, Hurt went on to play a wide range of c haracters and was best-known for his portrayals of the famously misunderstood

HURT'S FINAL ROLE AS AN AGING MAN BATTLING TERMINAL ILLNESS The Good Night, starring John Hurt, will be released this year John Hurt will give the world a glimpse of his own experience battling terminal illness in one of his final roles, set for release after his death. In The Good Night, Hurt plays a once-famous screen-writer in his seventies who is desperate to fix his relationship with his son and make sure he is not a burden to his wife before he dies. The character knows his condition is terminal and Hurt will bring a little of his own experience to the role after being diagnosed with cancer in June 2015. Afterwards, he told the Radio Times: '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.' He beat the disease but was left with health problems, although he continued to work and has a number of projects set for release even after his death. Hurt had been filming for movie the Darkest Hour, in which he was to play the Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in the early days of World War Two. The all-star cast also included Gary Oldman as Churchill, Kirstin Scott Thomas as Churchill's wife Clementine and Lily James as Elizabeth Nell. The big-budget British movie is still being filmed, it is believed, so it is not yet known if Hurt will appear or if they will have to find someone to replace him. In 2000 classic movie Gladiator, Oliver Reed died unexpectedly of a heart attack during filming so the filmmakers used the footage already shot and a few scenes featured a CGI version of the star. All the other projects Hurt had been working on were already filmed and are set for release next year, including My Name Is Lenny, a biopic on one of Britain's most notorious bare-knuckle boxers, Lenny McLean. Hurt plays Leslie Salmon after stepping in from the now retired Michael Gambon as the character of Leslie Salmon in the movie set for release in February and starring real-life prize fighter Michael Bisping. Hurt will also star in Damascus Cover, alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers, a movie about an undercover mission in Syria, set for release at some point this year. Gary Oldman as Churchill in the upcoming movie Darkest Hour, in which Jurt was set to play Neville Chamberlain Advertisement

Hurt first rose to fame in A Man For All Seasons in 1966 and later clinched a BAFTA for best supporting actor, along with an Oscar nomination, for playing a drug addict in Midnight Express.

He picked up yet another BAFTA just two years later in 1980 - this time as a leading actor in David Lynch's Elephant Man.

He also received his second Oscar nomination for the performance, which many extolled as Hurt's best, but was beaten to the award by Robert Di Nero with his role in Raging Bull.

The actor also enjoyed immense commercial success, playing Kane in the 1979 blockbuster Alien. The iconic scene in which an alien bursts from his chest won the actor a place in film history.

He later reprised the role in Mel Brooks' parody Spaceballs, and fans went on to compile clips of Hurt's famous last scenes, since the actor gained a reputation for taking on characters who meet their tragic ends.

The star later found a new generation of fans by taking on the role of Garrick Ollivander in the Harry Potter franchise.

Hurt was also known for his work as a voice actor and took his talents to the small screen, where he played a prominent role in Doctor Who, The Naked Civil Servant, and I, Claudius.

Hurt most recently starred in the Oscar-nominated biopic of President John F. Kennedy's widow, Jackie, which is currently showing in cinemas. The film's director Pablo Larraín issued a statement saying: 'John was invincible. Unflinching. Eternal.'

Hurt most recently starred in the Oscar-nominated biopic of President John F. Kennedy's widow, Jackie, which is currently showing in cinemas (above)

SIR JOHN HURT'S GOLDEN CAREER Sir John Hurt was a multi-award winning actor in an illustrious six-decade career Sir John Hurt was a multi-award winning actor in an illustrious six-decade career. He won a Golden Globe and four BAFTA Awards and was also nominated for two Oscars. The Academy Awards nominations were for Best Actor in a Leading Role in The Elephant Man in 1981 and Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Midnight Express in 1979. He won a Golden Globe in the same category for Midnight Express, where he played the character Max. His acting talents in The Elephant Man, where he plays Londoner John Merrick, saw him nominated for a Golden Globe in the US in the Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama category. At the BAFTAs, he won Best Actor in 1976 and 1981 for The Naked Civil Servant and The Elephant Man. He also earned Best Supporting Actor for Midnight Express in 1979 and Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema in 2012. Hurt was nominated for Best Actor in 2010 for An Englishman in New York and Best Supporting Actor in 10 Rillington Place in 1972 and Alien in 1979. Advertisement

In his earlier years, Hurt was notorious for his wild lifestyle and hell-raising antics off-screen.

He famously hurled himself in a drunken rage at a pack of paparazzi, and his picture was often splashed across newspapers.

The actor was married four times but his longest relationship was to French model Marie-Lise Volpeliere-Pierrot, who he met after his first marriage to Annette Robertson.

The pair were together for 16 years but she died in a tragic accident, flung from her horse when they were out riding in Oxford. Hurt saw her hit the ground, after which she fell into a coma and died later that day.

Afterwards, he continued a life of hedonism that earned him a reputation as a hard-partying Hollywood bad boy, although his exciting lifestyle did not solve his problems. He later described himself as 'a distressed person looking for something he couldn't find'.

Sir John once boasted that he drank up to seven bottles of wine a night but he mellowed with age and Hurt, who once described his career as not bad 'for an old drunk', received a string of honors towards the end of his six decade-long career.

He received a lifetime achievement award at the BAFTA awards in 2012, and was knighted by the Queen at Windsor Castle in 2015.

On Saturday, tributes poured in for one of Britain's most formidable and successful actors.

Director Mel Brooks tweeted: 'It was terribly sad today to learn of John Hurt's passing. He was a truly magnificent talent.

'No one could have played The Elephant Man more memorably. He carried that film into cinematic immortality. He will be sorely missed,' he added.

Rowling wrote: 'So very sad to hear that the immensely talented and deeply beloved John Hurt has died. My thoughts are with his family and friends.'

Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, said: 'It was such an honor to have watched you work, sir.'

Bonnie Wright, who played Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter films, wrote: 'John Hurt. What an acting legend. Rest in peace dear Sir. Wand shopping won't be the same without you.'

Comedian Stephen Fry called the news of Hurt's passing 'terrible news', and wrote: 'We've lost #JohnHurt as great on the stage, small screen and big. A great man & great friend of Norfolk & NCFC', the Norwich City Football Club.

Luke Evans, who worked with Hurt in The Immortals, wrote: 'We shared a trailer and would sit in our loincloths and would tell me story after story of the good old (crazy!) times of film making. I was so new to the business but he spoke to me like and equal, with a kindness and a dignity only a man of his generation possessed. RIP Mr Hurt and thank you for that special memory.'

On Saturday, tributes poured in for one of Britain's most formidable and successful actors

HURT TURNED TO ALCOHOL AFTER FIANCEE DIED IN TRAGIC FALL Treasured actor Sir John Hurt was once a world-famous hell-raiser when his life descended into hedonism and alcohol after the tragic death of his fiancee. The actor, who once boasted that he drank up to seven bottles of wine a night, was famous for partying with other Hollywood bad boys Oliver Reed and Peter O'Toole. And although he was still an acclaimed actor, landing some of the biggest roles in the industry, he later said that those 'wild' days were a response to the tragedy. Hurt has had four marriages and a number of colourful relationships, but his longest was with French model Marie-Lise Volpeliere-Pierrot, who died in 1983 in a horse-riding accident Hurt has had four marriages and a number of colourful relationships, but his longest was with French model Marie-Lise Volpeliere-Pierrot, who died in 1983 in a horse-riding accident The pair were to be married but tragedy struck when her horse bolted as they were out riding together in Oxford, flinging her into the road. She landed on her head and fell into a coma, dying that day in 1983. They had been together for 17 years. Speaking of the days that followed, he later said: 'Drink doesn't make you feel better. It just exacerbates the mood you are in.' His wild drinking earned him a reputation as a party animal, but he described it as 'a distressed person looking for something he couldn't find'. And though he has always boasted that he has lived his life in public and has 'never hidden behind closed doors', he has never spoken of the actual tragedy. The year after it happened, Hurt married an old friend, American actress Donna Peacock, at a local Register Office, in September 1984. The year after it happened, Hurt married an old friend, American actress Donna Peacock, at a local Register Office, in September 1984 (pictured) It was actually his second marriage after wedding actress Annette Robertson in 1962, which lasted just two years before the pair got divorced. Hurt and Donna Peacock moved to Kenya but divorced in January 1990, just days before he married his third wife American production assistant Joan Dalton. They had met on the set of Scandal and had two sons, Alexander 'Sasha' John Vincent Hurt and Nick Hurt, but divorced in 1996. The marriage was followed by a seven-year relationship with Dublin-born presenter and writer Sarah Owens. And despite his partying and drinking in the previous decades, he was still one of the biggest names in Hollywood, responsible for some of its most acclaimed performances. He had appeared in 1984, a movie about George Orwell's book, the year after the death of his fiancee, which was praised by the critics. But living his life so publicly and those days of heavy drinking have helped him with such an illustrious career, he believes. He married his third wife American production assistant Joan Dalton after they met on the set of his movie Scandal. They had two children together 'If I have gone over the top sometimes, it has been visible. But it was not a way of life. Otherwise I wouldn't have the CV I've got, would I?' he has previously said. But he turned his life around later on in life, and married his current wife ten years ago. He married his third wife American production assistant Joan Dalton after they met on the set of his movie Scandal. They had two children together John Hurt in Scandal, a movie released in 1989. He divorced Donna Peacock in January 1990, the same month in which he married Joan Dalton Since then, his reputation in the eyes of the public has changed dramatically, from the 1970s Hollywood bad boy to the national treasure who featured in Harry Potter. But the industry has also changed immeasurably. In 2012, years after totally giving up drinking, he said: ' Actors don't drink so much now. There were eight of us sitting around the other night and only one was drinking wine.' Talking about why he stopping drink, John continued: 'It wasn't serving me, and the climate has changed.' Speaking to the Radio Times in 2015, he added: 'We've become obsessed with the dangers of alcohol – you get newspaper articles that are entirely over the top. 'There's political correctness as well. I wonder who instigated that? Where does it come from, and who says what is or is not politically correct?' Hurt first married actress Annette Robertson, pictured in a play with David Hemmings, in 1962 but it only lasted two years Advertisement

British actor Alfred Molina said Sir John was 'a gloriously talented actor, one of the best, of this or any era.'

Another British film star, Richard E Grant, wrote on Twitter: 'So so sad to have lost such an extraordinary talent and friend. Sir John Hurt. R. I. P.'

Queen guitarist Dr Brian May also paid tribute, writing: 'What a fabulous actor, splendid voice and venerable human being. How sad to lose him. RIP John Hurt.'

Childline founder and president Dame Esther Rantzen hailed Sir John, who was a fundraiser for the children's charity, saying he had an 'extraordinary career'.

Dame Esther said she approached him after a London theatre performance, some 30 to 40 years after first meeting him when he was a young actor, and he 'immediately agreed' to help the organisation.

She said: 'He understood it was a unique way for children to seek help. There was something in his own past which made him connect with vulnerable children - I believe it happened when he was in school.

'From then on he never turned us down, he spoke at events for us, telling stories of some of the children we had helped, and took part in carol services for us.

'Because he was such a great artist, I remember writing for him and he gave it so much more strength because of the way he told it. He will be a great loss to the children in this country.'

Actress Clare Higgins, who worked with Sir John on Doctor Who, said he was 'the perfect actor' and a 'beautiful gentleman'.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast she said he was acknowledged by all actors as one of the 'greatest'.

'He was simply the most brilliant complete actor. He gave himself to his role.

'John had a real tenderness and gentleness which is quite rare in a male actor.'

She revealed she had spent three days with Sir John at a Doctor Who convention in Los Angeles last year in one of his last public appearances.

'What was so touching and lovely about John was that this wasn't an actor talking to fans, this was a person talking to a person. It was very moving and lovely to watch.'

Chris Evans, who starred in the 2013 film Snowpiercer with Hurt, wrote: 'John Hurt was one of the most powerful, giving and effortlessly real actors I've ever worked with. Remarkable human being. U will be missed.'

Oscar-winning American actress Octavia Spencer worked alongside the veteran actor on post-apocalyptic thriller Snowpiercer and recalled similar memories of his storytelling.

She wrote on Instagram: 'John Hurt was the craft at its finest. It was an honour and a great joy to work with him on Snowpiercer.

'To wile the time away on set, Luca Pasqualino Jamie Bell Tilda Swinton and I would play a crazy card game called s***head. It's English... and yes it's real.

'Anyway, though John and Chris Evans would never play, we'd all convene at our table in base camp and listen to John recount tales of his varied sets throughout the years.

British actor Luke Evans, who starred alongside Hurt on The Immortals, paid tribute to the star

Queen guitarist Brian May praised him for a 'splendid voice' and being a 'venerable human being'

David Morrissey called him a 'generous, funny and intelligent man', paying tribute on Twitter

'I was in awe of him because he always looked regal even though we played unwashed rebels in a post apocalyptic film. I can't explain it.

'Maybe it was the way he held his cigarette, or that English accent. Or, perhaps the kindness he showed us all allowed his nobility to radiate even beneath the layers of grimey makeup and tattered clothes. He was such an interesting man! Miss you, John.'

Walking Dead actor David Morrissey tweeted: 'I loved John Hurt. I worked with him many times. A generous, funny and intelligent man. Brilliant actor. Great storyteller. Going to miss him.'

Actor John Barrowman posted: 'Sir John Hurt showed us that your career can be diverse as the characters you play. So many wonderful performances.'

Richard E Grant wrote: 'So so sad to have lost such an extraordinary talent and friend. Sir John Hurt. R. I. P.'

Film-maker Kevin Smith tweeted: 'Rest in Peace to the actor genius £JohnHurt. Most folks know him from ALIEN but I loved him as Sir Richard Rich from A Man for All Seasons.'

Stephen Colbert, a comedian, writer and producer, highlighted the actor's performance as Richard Rich in A Man for All Seasons, calling it 'a paragon of heartbreaking human weakness & model for many characters'.

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis wrote: 'John Hurt. Midnight Express. Nothing better. Ever.'

Keifer Sutherland called Hurt 'a deer friend' and extended his 'deepest sympathies to John Hurt's family, friends and fans'.

Hurt was Joseph Merrick in the Elephant Man and received his second Oscar nomination for his performance, which many extolled as Hurt's best

FROM ALIEN AND THE ELEPHANT MAN TO HARRY POTTER: JOHN HURT'S GENRE-SPANNING ROLES Hurt's turn as John Merrick in The Elephant Man saw him nominated for the biggest prize in Hollywood, an Academy Award Having started off his screen career in BBC police favourite Z Cars back in the sixties in a one-off role, John Hurt soon found his star rising and in 1966 he gained acclaim for his turn in A Man For All Season, playing Rich. Starring alongside the likes of Orsen Welles and Robert Shaw in the period piece about Thomas Moore, Hurt made waves in Hollywood. A stream of iconic roles soon fell into the British star's including his iconic turn in 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. His turn as John Merrick in The Elephant Man the following year saw him nominated for the biggest prize in Hollywood, an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Since then the Derbyshire-born actor remained an enigmatic and much-beloved presence on the screen. Other notable roles for the actor included the lead role in the big screen adaption of George Orwell's 1984 opposite Richard Burton. A stream of iconic roles soon fell into the British star's including his iconic turn in Ridley Scott's 1979 horror classic, Alien In more recent years the actor has made star turns in the likes of the blockbuster Harry Potter series, playing the wandmaker Ollivander from 2001-2011. He also starred in the Oscar-nominated Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy in 2011 alongside Gary Oldman, and even had a turn in the BBC's revamped Doctor Who as the haunted 'War Doctor' in 2013. He was still working up to his death, having been attached to World War II drama Darkest Hour, which saw him playing besieged PM Neville Chamberlain alongside Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill and Ben Mendelsohn as King George VI. Advertisement

Sharon Stone said: 'God speed to John Hurt, a legendary actor and good human being.'

Comic actor David Schneider wrote: 'Sad re John Hurt. I was in a film with him and he was so mesmerising I kept forgetting to act and just watched him. A genius & a lovely man.'

Hurt's private life was at times scarred by disaster. He was married a total of four times.

He married actress Annette Robertson at the age of 22, and the two divorced in the 1960s.

In 1968 he started a relationship with Marie Lise Volpeliere-Porrot, who he called 'love of his life'. After 15 years together, she was killed in a riding accident.

One year after her death, Hurt married US actress Donna Peacock. The marriage only lasted four years, although the two remained good friends.

He married his third wife Jo Dalton in 1990 and they had two sons. But again the marriage ended in divorce in 1995.

Ten years later he wed Anwen Rees-Myers, who has remained at his side for the last decade.