A Man for All Seasons
He first grabbed our attention as Baron Richard Rich
Next a leading role as John Merrick (The Elephant Man)
In Nineteen Eighty - Four Winston Smith was his pitch
A drama unfolded as Mr. Braddock in The Hit
Stephen Ward in the Profumo affair what a Scandal
Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil servant in 1975
Caligula in I, Claudius he definitely could handle
Out of his Tardis the time lord emerged The War Doctor
A myriad of diverse roles he enthusiastically embraced
In Midnight Express, Rob Roy, Alien to name but a few
A humble star of stage and screen our lives he graced
His time has come to finally bid us all adieu
We have yet to see him in his final performance Darkest Hour
To quote the great man himself a prophesy self fulfilling
“We’re all just passing time, and occupy our chair very briefly”
The world was your stage and you played top billing
Sir John Vincent Hurt, CBE - A Man for All Seasons
Tommy Carroll
Mon 16th May 2022 19:13
Tom his final words (as I recall them) in "The Naked Civil Servant" while out walking he was approached by a group of sailors who joked with him; gently mocking and responding to his smiling defences, with his fading voice-over of "it was the happiest moment of his life".
tc