http://www.tmz.com/2017/01/27/john-hurt-dead/ Pancreatic Cancer apparently... Rest in Peace Sir Hurt... you will be missed.
His role in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" surely outranked "Alien"? Thing about him was, if he was in a movie there was always something worth watching or listening to in that movie, namely whatever he was doing or saying. Maybe nobody ever thought of him when casting empty roles. (Theres a thread in Arts and Culture set up for these, which could have been choked, but wasn't, during 2016)