Despite an early passion for acting, his parents enrolled
him at Grimsby Art School, now The Grimsby Institute, where he
studied Fine Art from 1956-1958. He showed skill as a painter and
went on to St Martin's School of Art before being accepted into the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His early focus as a painter has
been credited for his observational skills and his talent for
getting under the skin of the characters he plays.
One of the finest actors of his generation, John's career has
spanned some 50 years and created a legacy of more than 100 films
and countless stage and TV appearances. His vast body of work
includes: Shooting Dogs, 44 Inch Chest, Alien, Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows, Scandal and Midnight Express; roles in a number of
stage plays, including Harold Pinter's The Caretaker and Samuel
Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape; and the crazed Roman Emperor Caligula
in the 1970's TV series I, Claudius. His awards include three
BAFTAs, six BAFTA nominations, two Oscar nominations, the Evening
Standard Award, a Golden Globe and a special Teddy Award at the
2009 Berlin Film Festival for his outstanding performance as
Quentin Crisp in An Englishman in New York.
He has always acknowledged the contribution that The Grimsby
Institute made in shaping his career and has kept in touch with a
number of teaching staff over the years, including senior lecturer
David Tarttelin, who retired in 1987. John, 71, a staunch champion
of independent film-makers, was made a CBE in 2004 and was awarded
a Fellowship by the British Film Institute in 2009.