One of Britain's most esteemed and prolific actors, John Hurt fashioned an international career as a consummate screen chameleon, living his parts to the fullest without revealing the man behind the mask. He emerged from the London drama stage to film stardom in the late 1970s with a pair of powerhouse performances in “Midnight Express” (1978) and “Alien” (1979) – roles which established Hurt’s strength for playing mental and physical suffering. In addition to his other renowned characters of torment – most famously, “The Elephant Man” (1980) – Hurt’s palette grew to include many a baleful