Mel Brooks has led tributes to Sir John Hurt.

British actor and cast member John Hurt arriving for the UK film premiere of "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" at the BFI Southbank in London. The great and versatile actor Hurt, who could move audiences to tears in “The Elephant Man,” terrify them in “Alien,” and spoof that very same scene in “Spaceballs,” has died at age 77. Hurt, who battled pancreatic cancer, passed away Friday, Jan. 27, 2017, in London according to his agent Charles McDonald. (AP Photo/Sang Tan, File)

British actor and cast member John Hurt arriving for the UK film premiere of "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" at the BFI Southbank in London. The great and versatile actor Hurt, who could move audiences to tears in “The Elephant Man,” terrify them in “Alien,” and spoof that very same scene in “Spaceballs,” has died at age 77. Hurt, who battled pancreatic cancer, passed away Friday, Jan. 27, 2017, in London according to his agent Charles McDonald. (AP Photo/Sang Tan, File)

Published Jan 28, 2017

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New York - The 90-year-old filmmaker directed the 77-year-old actor, who has sadly passed

away after a long battle with cancer, in the 1980 movie 'Elephant Man', and

Brooks says no one else could have played the titular role better than Hurt and

hailed him a "magnificent talent".

Taking to Twitter on hearing the news of his death, he wrote: "It was terribly

sad to learn of John Hurt's passing. He was truly a magnificent talent ... No

one could have played The Elephant Man more memorably. He carried that film

into cinematic immortality. He will be sorely missed. (sic)"

Bonnie Wright, who played Ginny alongside Hurt's wand-making alter-ego Garrick

Ollivander in 'Harry Potter and Philosopher's Stone', simply wrote: "John

Hurt. What an acting legend. Rest in peace dear Sir Wand shopping won't be the

same without you. (sic)"

David Schneider starred alongside Hurt in 1999's 'You're Dead' and said he was

so taken by him he forgot his lines.

He wrote: "Sad re John Hurt. I was in

a film with him and he was so mesmerising I kept forgetting to act and just

watched him. A genius & lovely man (sic)"

'Lost Boys' star Kiefer Sutherland said: "My deepest sympathies to John

Hurt's family friends and fans. He was a dear friend. (sic)"

Sharon Stone said: "God speed to John Hurt, a legendary and good human being

(sic)"

And 59-year-old screenwriter Richard E. Grant wrote: "So so sad to have

lost such an extraordinary talent and friend. Sir John Hurt R.I.P. (sic)"

Over a career spanning six decades, John starred in a number of movies including

'The Naked Civil Servant', 'Midnight Express', 'Alien', '1984', the 'Harry

Potter' franchise and, most recently, 'Jackie'.

He was nominated for two Academy Awards, for 'The Elephant Man' and 'Midnight Express'.

In 2012, John was presented with a lifetime achievement award by the British

Academy of Film and Television Arts. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in July

2015.

One month earlier, in June 2015, John revealed that he was being treated for

pancreatic cancer.

He said: "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."

Upbeat

Despite his diagnosis, John remained upbeat and pledged to continue working,

and in October of the same year he revealed he had been given the all-clear

from cancer.

He said: "I had a final scan and it's all gone brilliantly.

"I am overjoyed, I am thrilled. It all looks great for the future, it's

fantastic."

Speaking previously about his obituary, John revealed the advice his friend Sir

Laurence Olivier, had given him.

He said: "I remember Olivier, when I was playing the Fool in his 'King Lear',

saying: 'When it comes to the obituary, they'll only ever mention three things,

probably two, but if you're lucky three.'

"And of course when he died, they mentioned 'Richard III', 'Henry IV' and

either 'Marathon Man' or 'Wuthering Heights'.

"I mean, if you write your own obituary, I don't know, they'd take the things

that got awards wouldn't they? So it would be 'Midnight Express', it would be

'Elephant Man' and 'Naked Civil Servant' probably.

"I won't be here, I'll be gone so it'll be entirely up to them."

Mischa Barton has left hospital and claims being drugged at a party is to blame

for her bizarre outburst.

The former 'O.C.' actress has shed some light on why she was voluntarily taken

into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Wednesday night for "mental

evaluation" after she was overheard making

weird remarks about her estranged mother Nuala Barton being a "witch"

and was photographed falling off her garden fence.

The 31-year-old star insists she is "doing well" despite being told she'd

been given the drug GHB - a date rape drug - whilst on a night out to celebrate

her birthday, leading to her out of character

behaviour at her home in West Hollywood later that evening.

In a statement issued to PEOPLE, she explained: "On the evening of the 25th,

I went out with a group of friends to celebrate my birthday.

"While having drinks, I realised that something was not right as my behaviour

was becoming erratic and continued to intensify over the next several hours.

"I voluntarily went to get professional help, and I was informed by their

staff that I had been given GHB. After an overnight stay, I am home and doing

well.

"I would like to extend a big thanks of gratitude to the professionals at

Cedars-Sinai for their great care and professionalism. This is a lesson to all

young women out there, be aware of your surroundings."

Emergency services were reportedly informed of a potential overdose or someone

trying to jump and when a police sheriff arrived at the property, he said

Mischa "was making incoherent statements that made absolutely no sense and

she was transported to the hospital."

The brunette beauty was placed under psychiatric care in 2009 after threatening

to kill herself, and though she was never actually suicidal, she admitted she

felt very "depressed" and was struggling to cope with life.

Breakdown

She previously said: "It was a full-on breakdown. It was terrifying. I

was never suicidal, I was just overworked and depressed. But one slip of the

tongue in a heightened moment and you find yourself in that situation."

Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds' fans will be able to pay their respects at a

public memorial on March 25.

The 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' star passed away on a flight from London to

Los Angeles in December after suffering a heart attack and her mother Debbie

died a day later of a stroke, and Carrie's brother Todd Fisher has announced he

has organised a special send off, which will be held at Forest Lawn Memorial

Park in the Hollywood Hills.

In a post on his website,

Todd wrote: "We will be celebrating their lives with friends, family members,

and the people who loved them, you. The service will begin at 1:00 PM and

immediately afterwards, those who want to walk to their final resting place are

welcome to do so.

"There are a limited number of seats available, and it will be on a first

come first come, first seated basis, There are no tickets, it is first come,

first seated. There will be room for overflow in the huge lobby as well as the

outside with screens to watch and hear the service."

A private memorial service was held on January 6, where some of the Hollywood

legend's ashes were buried alongside her mother the park.

The day before the burial, Carrie and Debbie were remembered at a private

memorial at Carrie's home in Los Angeles, where Meryl Streep performed the song

'Happy Days Are Here Again' by Ben Selvin and The Crooners.

Speaking about the ceremony, a friend close to the family said: "By the

end everyone was singing.

"Billie wanted the people her mother loved to at her in that living room

one last time.

"The only things missing were Carrie and Debbie." The ceremony is

believed to have been attended by over 150 guests, including Gwyneth Paltrow,

Tracey Ullman, comedian Stephen Fry and

Carrie's beloved dog Gary, who all dined on fried chicken, green vegetables and

cornbread.

The close friend said the service brought back fond memories of days spent at

the house with Carrie and her mother.

The source said: "Debbie would sit in the corner, and everyone there would

come up and pay homage. Even the biggest stars were starstruck by her. Carrie

would walk around barefoot with a can of Coca-Cola, making sure everyone was

having a good time, saying the funniest things you've ever heard."

BANG SHOWBIZ

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