When an actor's death is the top story on the BBC, you know that they were something special.
And John Hurt, who has died aged 77, was definitely something special.
His roles across his long career were legendary. The Elephant Man. Alien. Harry Potter. The dragon in Merlin.
Then most recently, the War Doctor. His appearance in Doctor Who in 2013 and later three Big Finish audio box sets, with a fourth due for release later this year, gave him yet another generation of fans.
His rich voice was truly memorable and I chose to use it as the one for Beeching, the computer on Alycidon.
His death was a surprise - he had beaten pancreatic cancer previously - but I am not that distraught about it. We all have to go at some point and hopefully he is in a better place now, swapping anecdotes in the green room in the sky.
He had a good long life. In fact, a spectacular one.
Rest in Peace, Sir John.
