Actor John Hurt Is Battling Pancreatic Cancer

In news that is surely heartbreaking not only to the actor and his close family and friends, but to his many fans around the world, John Hurt has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The 75-year-old shared the news himself in a statement to People on Tuesday, June 16. Hurt's statement reads,

I have always been open about the way in which I conduct my life and in that spirit I would like to make a statement. I have recently been diagnosed with early stage pancreatic cancer. I am undergoing treatment and am more than optimistic about a satisfactory outcome, as indeed is the medical team. I am continuing to focus on my professional commitments and will shortly be recording "Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell" (one of life's small ironies!) for BBC Radio 4.

Clearly, the actor, who is known for starring in the 1980 film The Elephant Man and, more recently, for roles in Dr. Who (The War Doctor) and the Harry Potter series (Mr. Ollivander), seems to be in good spirits considering his diagnosis. Calling himself "more than optimistic" and joking about his latest gig are definitely both great signs. A positive spirit is important at a time like this, and Hurt definitely has one.

The two-time Oscar nominee has a ton of roles lined up, so it's great to hear that he plans on continuing with his work. According to IMDb, Hurt has seven projects in the works, including starring as Don Quixote in Terry Gilliam's The Man Who Killed Don Quixote and Tarzan from David Yates who directed Hurt in the two final Harry Potter movies.