Sad news: English actor John Hurt, who appeared as magical wand maker Garrick Ollivander, proprietor of Ollivanders in the Harry Potter films has just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

His cancer diagnosis was revealed in a statement he provided to Britain's Press Association. "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," he said.

It is good to note that Hurt remains optimistic throughout this ordeal, and has committed to devote his time working. One of his future projects include the recording of "Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell" for BBC radio.

He has recently finished filming for a new version of "Tarzan" and will appear with Gemma Arterton and Derek Jacobi in "The History of Love."

Hurt is already 75 years old, and boasts of a lucrative acting career for over six decades. While his career has always been good, his romantic relationships had been rocky in comparison. Hurt has been married four times, and his marriage to first wife Annette Robertson only lasted two years (1962 to 1964). He was married next to Donna Peacock, and it lasted for six years (1984 to 1990). It was followed by marriage to Joan Dalton, and it lasted for another six years (1990 to 1996). He is still currently married to Anwen Rees-Myers. They have been married since 2005.

Hurt has a very rich and distinctive voice, and some of his most notable films include the prison drama "Midnight Express" (1978), the science fiction horror film "Alien" (1979), adventure film "Rob Roy" (1995), political thriller "V for Vendetta" (2006), the sci-fi adventure film "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008), the "Harry Potter" films (2001 to 2011), "Hellboy" films (2004 and 2008, as well as the Cold War espionage film "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" (2011).

In fact, a lot of people and publicatios have considered his final scene in the "Alien" film as one of the most memorable scenes in cinematic history. In the movie, he played the character Kane, an enthusiastic adventurer who let his own curiosity become his own undoing.

He has received two Academy Award nominations, a Golden Globe Award, and four BAFTA Awards, the fourth of which was a Lifetime Achievement recognition for his outstanding contribution to British cinema. Hurt's Oscar nominations were for his roles in "The Elephant Man" and "Midnight Express."