The Actor John Hurt: Three Scenes
I was out in the West End of London, and there was my favourite actor of this lifetime: John Hurt. I tried to stop him and give him one of Prabhupada's books. Hurt started to shout and swear at me in an intense way (HE WASN'T ACTING!).
Then he went off, but a friend of his turned to me and said, "Don't worry. He is like that when he is under pressure."
Only a week later I was outside Govinda's (at the Soho Street temple), and there he was again: John Hurt, I approached and asked him about a play he was in forty years ago. He was delighted I recalled it. Then I introduced the books. He took a book and gave a donation, and we parted on good terms.
Several weeks later I was out on harinama in the West End, and a person at one of the coffee stalls was waving and smiling at me.
Yes! It was John Hurt.
Your Servant,
Ananta Nitai Dasa
