John Hurt and Emmanuelle Riva (RIP)
Saturday, January 28, 2017 at 9:26AM 
Two departures to report, both of them Oscar nominees and enduring figures of great cinema. Major British thespian Sir John Hurt and French icon Emmanuelle Riva have died at 77 and 89 respectively...
John Hurt as "Kane" in ALIEN (1979)John Hurt first hit movie screens in the British youth drama Young and Willing (1962) when he was only 22. He never left screens thereafter, amassing over 200 film and TV credits over the next 55 years. He's in movie theaters right now, posthumously, as the priest who counsels Natalie Portman's Jackie (2016) about her grief. By the 1970s he was a headliner on TV in movies like The Naked Civil Servant (1975) and miniseries like I, Claudius (1976) and a star player you wanted in your ensemble with memorable appearances in Alien (1979), Midnight Express (1978, Oscar nomination). In one of his most recognizable roles though, he's unrecognizable The Elephant Man (1981, Oscar nomination).
As for me, I came to his career later than that, first noticing how brilliant he was in the underdiscussed British political drama Scandal (1989). Other major films included Heaven's Gate (1980), 1984 (1984), Rob Roy (1995), Love and Death on Long Island (1997), V For Vendetta (2005), two recent Tilda Swinton movies Snowpiercer and Only Lovers Left Alive (2013), and three Harry Potter movies.
There's been no word on the details of his death as of yet but he's part of the cast of four new films that will premiere after his death. They include a leading role in a drama called That Good Night (2017) about a terminally ill screenwriter and a supporting role in Joe Wright's Winston Churchill drama Darkest Hour (2017) which is hoping to be an Oscar contender next winter. Did you have a favorite John Hurt role?
Emmanuelle Riva was a less familiar face to English language moviegoers, but sometimes all it takes is one or two key roles for screen immortality and with two stone cold classics of international cinema on her resume, her legend will endure. Few film debuts are as mesmerizing as hers in Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) and coupled with her Oscar-nominated role in Michael Haneke's Amour (2012) they provide masterfully elegiac bookends to her career.
Three of Riva's key roles: HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR (1959), KAPO (1959), and THERESE (1962)
Inbetween those classics she made frequent appearances in French and sometimes Italian pictures. Other key pictures include Kapò (1959), Leon Morin, Priest (1961), Therese (1962, Venice Best Actress prize), and Three Colors: Bleu (1992). It's a great pity that she didn't win the Oscar for Amour but for as heartbreaking as the picture is she described herself as "completely happy" about the experience, considering the role an extraordinary gift.
She died of cancer but she had completed one new movie that has yet to premiere. No word on how she figures into the the Icelandic picture Alma (2017) from Kristín Jóhannesdóttir (As in Heaven) but she's in it.
Reader Comments (24)
Oh my god. 2017 is shaping up terribly and it's still January.
RIP JOHN HURT AND EMMANUELLE RIVA.
The Elephant Man is such a great performance from Hurt even after buried in that makeup.
Should have been Oscar winner both of them.
But, alas when Weinstein bought yours for J-Law in Riva's case.
Hurt was an amazing character actor- Crisp, Caligula, the Elephant Man but is really funny and sweet in " Love and Death in Long Island" as the uptight professor who falls in love with Jason Priestly dumb movie star
I understand Hurt had also been diagnosed with cancer and that he died after a long battle. RIP both.
All my idols are over 60 so I'm ready for the heartache.
John Hurt was also an excellent narrator -- that VOICE. I wish he'd done more. He was the best actor in Perfume, and he never even appeared on screen.
I wonder if everyone from last year after the last Oscars and these from yearly this year will fit to the In Memorial section of will someone get left out.
Riva was this close to winnin the Oscar, but too bad J Law was at the height o her beauty, youth n popularity, w Weinstein at her back.
Had J Law not won SLP, i'm almost certain she wld've won the following year for AH.
@ Craver:
Please don't lose perspective here and go hysterical. People die. That's just a matter of fact. And as sad as it is to lose Mary Tyler Moore, John Hurt and Emmanuelle Riva within two days, keep in mind that they were 80, 77 and 89 years old respectively, and that all three of them led a full life leaving behind a rich body of work.
The death of a (near-)octagenarian is a moment to pause and reminisce, but it is not a terrible tragedy - it's quite simply a part of life.
I just wrote about Sir John Hurt here about him being one of those way overdue Brits like Oldman & Finney.
I am very fond of his performances in 10 Rillington Place,Alien,Love and Death On Long Island & Scandal but especially his Elepahnt Man performance for which I feel he should have won his Oscar,sad day.
This is the first John Hurt remembrance I've read that mentioned the underseen LOVE AND DEATH ON LONG ISLAND. I enjoyed him in that film and was a little bummed he was overshadowed that year by Ian McKellen in GODS AND MONSTERS. No offense to McKellen, but it felt like attention to one film came at the expense of the other.
Also passed away: Barbara Hale (93), iconic television actress (Perry Mason, Supporting Actress Emmy) and big screen leading lady to Frank Sinatra, Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, James Stewart, Charlton Heston and more. Mother of William Katt (Carrie, The Greatest American Hero, Big Wednesday, Butch and Sundance: The Early Days).
RIP "Della Street"
RIP, both of them. (2017 is shaping up already to be a buzz-saw of grim reaping just as last year was, sadly.)
Hurt was absolutely Oscar-worthy for The Elephant Man (my favorite of his performances), but he of course had the misfortune of coming up against De Niro's masterwork, Raging Bull. Oddly enough, I was quite impressed with Hurt in Contact and Melancholia, where his presence could be bracing and chilling at once. (I could've watched an entire film just about Hurt's and Rampling's curdled, divorced couple in Melancholia.)
Riva was a ravishing beauty. I haven't seen Hiroshima Mon Amour, but am seeking it out as we speak. She definitely should've won the Oscar for Amour, but at least she owned such a magnificent role in the first place, and Lawrence's "Happy Birthday, Emmanuelle!" certainly was memorable (at least in my mind, anyway).
"O for a Muse of Fire!" says the Chorus in Henry V, one of John Hurt's last roles.
John Hurt was a joy to watch because he was such a complete actor. Intelligence, soul, wit, and expressiveness all in full play. Watching succeeding waves of small character reveals in his roles was high entertainment, the artistic thrill of watching a master crafts person at work.
Some of my favourites of his roles were: The Hit, Alien, Love and Death on Long Island, The Proposition, Hellboy, Harry Potter, Tinker Tailor, Only Lovers Left Alive, Chorus in Henry V.
I would have liked to have seen his Fool on King Lear, Porfiry in Crime and Punishment, Krapp in Samuel Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape.
And no wonder his voice work was so successful. It's like listening to the internalized voice of one of our better selves.
Watching John Hurt as Mr. Ollivander in Harry Potter, I often wondered what kind of wand Mr. Ollivander had (did they ever say?). I decided the wood was holly, the heart a unicorn hair, and the wand slender but extremely supple.
That voice! He was the very soul of Lars von Trier's incredible sarcasm as the narrator of Dogville!
What a week!! Mary Tyler Moore, John Hurt, Emmanuelle Riva, Mike Connors and Barbara Hale within the space of three days! I know they were all older folks who had productive, relatively happy lives but for them all to go at once is a great deal to absorb.
I wasn't too familiar with Riva's career but know from her reputation that she was a great talent.
John Hurt was such a skillful actor and his notable successes were wonderful films in which he was memorable but he was able to take average material and raise it up a level with his talent. One good example is his work in the lesser known 80's comedy drama "From the Hip" where Judd Nelson-during his career high point-played wild card lawyer Stormy Weathers who is assigned the seemingly unwinnable case of a professor (that would be Hurt) accused of murder. At first Hurt comes across as a bemused, somewhat reserved mild mannered guy but then in one chilling scene Hurt reveals him to be the psychopathic killer he is under the surface. In that scene he takes what had been a decent if unremarkable film and compels you to stick with it to see what he's going to do for the rest of the picture.
John Hurt and Emmanuelle Riva.... 2 legends in cinema.
My favorite Hurt performance is definitely The Elephant Man though I have a very soft spot for his cameo in Spaceballs. What actor would make fun of one of his most famous death scenes for a spoof? You gotta respect that.
I've only seen 3 films that Riva is in in Hiroshima Mon Amour, Amour, and Trois Couleurs: Bleu as I think Hiroshima Mon Amour is the best of the 3 films I've seen from her so far
Steven -- yeah, Hiroshima is AMAZING. I really want to see THERESE and KAPO so i'll feel like i fully get her career.
riva should have won over lawrence.
mcv: She definitely should have. How Emmanuelle lost for her amazing transformation to THAT insufferable piece of hamming from Jlaw is one of Oscar's most egregious mistakes
RIP to both Hurt and Riva.
my favorite performances of Emmanuelle Riva:
1. Hiroshima mon amour
2. Léon Morin, prêtre
3. Thérèse Desqueyroux
4. Amour
5. Kapò
6. Thomas l'imposteur
7. Adua e le compagne
And if you really want to get the experience what a great and wonderful actress she is/was, then only watch her movies in original language, because her voice is just incredible
You know, I love TFE and I like the Oscars, but the constant conflation of the success of an actor's life and career in terms of how many academy awards they've won or not won seems a little odd to me. I hope the actors themselves move on from an Oscar defeat quicker than some of their loyal fans.
Anyway, RIP John Hurt, one of my favorite character actors, and RIP Emmanuelle Riva - migosh, she had a far more extensive career than I'd known! And as for Mary Tyler Moore, the hubby and I watched some primo MTM episodes last night and were reminded again of her comedic brilliance and her great reserves of warmth and charm. She will be missed.
I would've loved for Emmanuelle to win and be an Oscar winner, but Jennifer Lawrence was getting an Oscar. If she lost to Emmanuelle, she would've taken Lupita's the next year no question. She almost got it even despite that.
So I'm not sure if I'd prefer Emmanuelle or Lupita to be Oscar winners. I feel like Emmanuelle would've been one of the most interesting wins tbh.
This is pretty much the best excuse as any for everyone to seek out Hiroshima Mon Amour -- if they haven't already, as a tribute to Riva. It's a stunner and she's amazing in it. There's a reason it's in the canon for 'greatest films of all time'. No better moment for everyone to finally watch Amour as well, probably the best of 2012.
John Hurt passing strings for me since he was turning into one of my fav character actors in the last few years with Tinker Tailor, Only Lovers, Snowpiercer, Jackie, etc. Such a pleasure to see his face turn up in such difficult projects. How many actors can claim they were challenging themselves to the very end and picking material with lasting impressions and powerful impact? He was marvelous and will be sorely missed by me.
*stings