John Hurt Disappointed - Who Do You Think You Are? - BBC One

[edwards21416]

why does he so want to be irish ,being English is just as good ,funny isnt it ah poor John

[surfidiot]

i didnt realise how famous this dude is, he only lives down the road from me in this tiny village, i didnt know he was even famous till a few days ago :S

hes a funny old bugger in real life lol

[innit27]

melodramatic twat

[angels77100]

Well regardless of what his history reveiled about John. I still consider him a proud noble Irishman. I really feel for the man, it really did touch a nerve with him.

[RipCruncher1]

@angels77100 ~ eh ?. He's about as irish as an eskimo.

[flamehairedfemme]

I agree Marchone7 that you don't feel like this for nothing, putting aside all romantic whimsy when you have such a powerful sense of belonging it really means something.

I love John Hurt, he's a fabulous actor and a beautiful, sensitive & poetic soul.

[beastatlay]

"In America most people will describe themselves as Scottish/Dutch/Italian as well as American, even if their families have been in the US for generations"

In America, most people are utter gobshites who couldn't even find these countries on an annotated special-needs globe.

Never mind that, though - how tasty is that genealogist? Heeeeeey, baby, I think I might be related to the Duke of Wellington...you check it out while I pour us a couple of cherry Lambrinis. Sorry, Threshers was closed.

[henryhaven]

@beastatlay good point lol

[TSOM87]

He mite have Irish in him..but Bloolines don't stop at Ireland/Scotland ect...they go WAY back before these countrys were even populated..thats what i find Interesting!

[marchone7]

john hurt doesnt feel irish for nothing, i bet he had a connection with ireland that pre -dates these times, you dont have them strong feelings for nothing. i bet if john hurt was able to go beyond these dates, he would be of irish ancestry, i consider john hurt and irishman, i bet he is. you cant feel irish like he does without being irish, i dont expect the english to understand that profound sentence.

[spelqueka]

Birthplace means nothing and where you are brought up means nothing. I moved to a small town in the midlands when I was two where locals loathe 'incomers' and still do. I love Somerset and have always felt a pull to the South and South west, then i find out all my ancestors came from there. It is where I shall move some day. I believe that John still may have some Irish in him in his distant past, but it may be he just hasn 't found it yet

[jesoby]

who gives a toss who your ancestors were?

[baileymarie86]

I suppose it varies from person to person..

home is where the heart is, and all that. Your bloodline can give you a strong sense of cultural identity though, which for some people is very important.

In America most people will describe themselves as Scottish/Dutch/Italian as well as American, even if their families have been in the US for generations. It really does matter to some people.

[vulnerabledonkey]

What? Born in England. How is that Irish?

It doesn't matter what your blood is. You're from where you're born. My family history is Scottish, but I was born in Derbyshire, and am proud to be from Derbyshire.

I can't see where this fascination with past lives comes from, I really can't.

[baileymarie86]

My brother is British by blood. He was born in Japan. He grew up mostly in Luxembourg and in America. Does that make him Japanese? American? No, he is British!

It is your bloodline and family that ultimately make you who you are, coupled with where you are brought up. Your birthplace is just something that goes on your passport.

[vulnerabledonkey]

Blood means nothing. You from where you are born and raised. That's it.

I know a guy who's parents are Japanese. He was born in Britain and speaks in a thick Yorkshire accent. Is he Japanese? No. He's British.

[baileymarie86]

Also, actors have a tendency to romanticise things.. I can understand why he was so attached to the idea of being a descendant of Irish nobility.

[sagttorel]

No, birthplace is the least important. Where you are brought up and the nationality of your parents are what counts/ My parents are Scottish and I was born in england, lived their for 9 months then lived in Scotland since. I'm Scottish not English, where I was born means absolutely nothing.

[dovtponevv]

@vulnerabledonkey

Where you're born means nothing, my friend was born in Japan to English parents, he was in Japan for a total of 3 weeks and spent the rest of his life in england.

Youre parents nationality and where you grow up is the only part that matters.

John Hurt is english as both his parents are english and he has zero Irish ancestry. He was lied to his wole life and believed it.

[Brady2k8]

my nan and grandad are Irish and they talk with the accent but i was born in England.

[dubzy81]

Phew! I'd be relieved too if I found out I WASN'T Irish. I'd put that gun down.

[bennyman1982]

He looks like The Elephant Man now, look how old he is?

[Brady2k8]

lol

[Davidebrady0gmail]

Hope he kept that leprechaun that came out his belly in alien, he can get a refund now.

[15Brick15]

.....It was actually a xenomorph.

Although apparently you have some xenophobia, going by that comment.

[dubzy81]

chill out it was a fucking joke you boring fucker.

[sagttorel]

How fake people are, he felt something for Ireland at the start based entirely on lies(in reality he felt nothing just wanted to believe he did).

Then he ends up disliking Ireland when the truth comes out.

[baileymarie86]

He didn't end up disliking Ireland, he was disappointed that something he identified himself with turned out to be a lie. I think its pretty clear that he loves Ireland.

[Duncsta22]

poor guy

[ronariverah]

Bless him.