Doctor Who guest stars have yet to get much bigger than John Hurt. It doesn't get much bigger than the episode he starred in either, or the role he played, because he well and truly left his mark on the Whoniverse when he was revealed as a lost incarnation of the titular Time Lord who then went onto play a significant part in the 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor, back in November 2013. Because, let's face it, if there was ever going to be a secret incarnation of the Doctor that none of us knew about it, it was always going to be John Hurt, wasn't it? The moment he turned around in The Name of the Doctor made for one of the most memorable cliffhangers in Doctor Who history and his involvement in the feature-length escapade added another level of prestige to the show's landmark festivities. A true veteran of the stage and screen, John is one of Britain's best known and most versatile actors and is perhaps best remembered - by a certain generation, at least - for his portrayal of the deformed man John Merrick in David Lynch's critically acclaimed The Elephant Man. He was nominated for the Best Actor gong at the Academy Awards for his portrayal in the 1980 biopic and, while the film ultimately lost out in all of the eight Oscar categories for which it was shortlisted, it swept the boards at the BAFTAs where John was named Best Actor and the film was awarded the accolade for Best Film. Now, of course, he's been able to add the coveted title of 'War Doctor' to his esteemed résumé and fantasy fans will also know and love him as Ollivander in the Harry Potter movies. This list would never end if it went through his entire filmography (besides, isn't that what IMDb is for?), so let's just say that John Hurt is a pretty big deal. He's just been knighted, too, which just goes to show how awesome he is. So, any news on that War Doctor spin off...? What did you think of this list? Are there any other Hollywood actors, upcoming or otherwise, who have appeared in Doctor Who? Join the conversation in the comments section below.
Dan Butler is the Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture.com. When he isn't writing his own articles or editing other people's, he can be found trawling the internet for gifs of Steven Moffat laughing. Contact him via dan.butler@whatculture.co.uk.
