British actor John Hurt, who starred in such classic films as A Man for All Seasons (1966), The Elephant Man (1980), and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) has died at age 77, according to British press reports. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in June 2015, but stated four months later that the disease was in remission due to treatment. The cause of death has not yet been announced.

Hurt was born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK in 1940. He developed an interest in acting at a young age, but enrolled in art school at 17 the behest of his parents, who wanted him to become a teacher. A year later, he was studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, from which he graduated in 1962.

That same year, Hurt made his film and stage debuts in The Wild and the Willing and Infanticide in the House of Fred Ginger. He went on to win acclaim as a theatrical actor before landing the first film role that brought him international recognition, playing Richard Rich in the historical drama A Man for All Seasons.

Hurt’s other notable films included Midnight Express (1978), Alien (1979), Contact (1997) and V for Vendetta (2006). In 2012, he won a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) lifetime achievement award for his contributions to British film.

Hurt is survived by his wife, Anwen Rees-Myers, and his two sons, Alexander and Nicholas Hurt, from a previous marriage to Joan Dalton.