John Hurt to be honored by Shakespeare Theatre Company

John Hurt (Mr. Ollivander) has been selected by the Shakespeare Theatre Company to receive an award at the 2014 gala. John Hurt is one of three actors to be honored by the theatre company this year. We know and love Hurt as Mr. Ollivander in the Harry Potter films, but he has taken on a large variety of roles, both on stage and screen. Most recently, he has appeared in the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of Last Tape.

The award that Hurt will receive, alongside Stacey Keach and Dame Diana Rigg, is  the William Shakespeare Award for Classical Theatre. It is also known as the Will Award and

recognizes artists who have made significant contributions to classical theatre in America.

The Artistic Director of the company, Michael Kahn said,

We are thrilled to be able to recognize three performers whose prolific careers span multiple decades and feature iconic roles across stage, film and television. Between them they have portrayed the spectrum of Shakespeare’s great roles, from heroes and lovers to villains, and great works by playwrights from Euripides to Beckett.

The award is due to be presented at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s 2014 gala, which will take place on October 5 in Washington, DC, where the company is also based. Find out more about the gala itself and the other awards being presented here. You can also learn more about the Shakespeare Theatre Company and their current season here.

Congratulations to John Hurt – a very well-deserved honor!