At seventy-five years old, Sir John Hurt just might be the busiest actor in genre films. Hurt’s iconic role in Ridley Scott’s Alien, as the very first xenomorph victim, Kane, first brought him to the attention of most pop culture nerds, but it wasn’t long before he followed it with his unforgettable performance in the title role of David Lynch’s The Elephant Man. He also found time to voice the eerie Horned King in the Disney animated adaptation of Lloyd Alexander’s fantasy novel The Black Cauldron, and demonstrated his sense of humor by lampooning his Alien performance in Mel Brooks’ sci-fi spoof Spaceballs. But in the twenty-first century, Hurt’s really cemented his reputation as a fan favorite. He’s starred in the Harry Potter films (as the magic wand-maker Mr. Ollivander), the Hellboy films (as Hellboy’s foster father Professor Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm), and even appeared in the last Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (as Indy’s friend Professor Oxley). Of course, he also forever endeared himself to Doctor Who fans as the War Doctor (in the show’s fiftieth anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor).

All of these roles are covered in artist Jeff Victor’s “Evolution of John Hurt”, pictured below. It’s the latest in Victor’s amazing “Evolution” series of illustrations, chronicling the changing look of some of our favorite stars…

Jeff Victor tells us that the morning after he posted this illustration online, he “woke up to a huge surprise. Hurt not only shared it on his personal page, but his assistant contacted me saying he loves it and would like a print. Not bad!” You can order a copy for yourself at Jeff Victor’s webstore.

Hurt shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. In just the last few years, he proved a highlight of the vampire film Only Lovers Left Alive and the post-apocalyptic thriller Snowpiercer, and provided the voice of the Dragon in TV’s Merlin. And he’ll soon play the title role in Terry Gilliam’s long-planned The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. What’s your favorite John Hurt performance? Let us know in the comments below!

HT: Geek Tyrant