It was announced today that the third and final installment of Quentin Crisp’s autobiography, The Last Word, will be published worldwide on November 21, 2017.

Crisp documentation his life working as life model and living as an openly gay effeminate man in his first autobiography The Naked Civil Servant. Crisp moved to London in the 1920’s, in the 1980’s he moved to New York.

In 1976 the first volume of his autobiography was adapted for television, the program made a star of both actor John Hurt and the man he was portraying.

Crisp soon developed a one man show, which he toured around the United Kingdom and also took to New York.

In New York, the raconteur famously had his phone number publicly listed, and would chat to anyone who called him, he often accepted dinner invitations from complete strangers – as long as they agreed to pay the bill.

Sting wrote the song An Englishman in New York about Crisp and he appeared in the music video for the track. Sting said the song was a little about himself, and a lot about Crisp – who he described as a personal hero. Boy George also listed Crisp as a teenage inspiration his his autobiography Take It Like a Man.

In the 1990’s Crisp appeared in several films, playing Queen Elizabeth in Sally Potter’s Orlando, he also appeared in the AIDS drama Philadelphia and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar. Alongside his autobiography he also published a series of book on modern manners.

Throughout his life the provocative author often made comments that upset other members of the LGBTI community, he was criticised for saying AIDS was a fad, and homosexuality was a disease.

The publication of his final part of his autobiography will coincide with the eighteen-year anniversary of Crisp’s passing, which occurred on November 21, 1999. Crisp was 90 when he died of a heart attack.

The Last Word was written by Crisp with the help of his best friend, Phillip Ward, who tape-recorded and later transcribed Quentin’s words between 1997-1999. Upon his death, Quentin left the rights and responsibility to publish The Last Word to Phillip, who later enlisted former Pink News features writer Laurence Watts to help edit the resulting manuscript.

Whereas The Naked Civil Servant made Crisp famous and How To Become A Virgin detailed that fame and his move to and life in New York, The Last Word was written by a man who knew the end was near. The Last Word is described as Crisp’s goodbye to the world, an opportunity for him to have the last word.

OIP Staff

OIP Staff

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Sir John Hurt, the acclaimed actor who starred in Alien and played everyone from Quentin Crisp and John Merrick to The Doctor in Doctor Who has passed away aged 77.

The actor passed away just six days after his 77th birthday, he had battled pancreatic cancer in recent years but was according to the last reports in remission.

Hurt played many memorable roles on screen but overshadowing them all was his role in the 1979 film Alien. 

Hurt played Kane, the first victim of the alien that invades the spaceship Nostromo. The scene where the parasitic alien bursts through his chest while the crew are eating dinner is on of cinema’s most memorable scenes.

Among his many parts was his portrayal of Quentin Crisp in the 1975 TV play The Naked Civil Servant. Hurt’s role in the biographical film won him the Best Actor BAFTA. He played the gay author and raconteur for a second time in 2009 in An Englishman in New York, with the second film covering the later years of Crisp’s life.

Hurt also appeared in A Man for All Seasons, Midnight Express, Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Elephant Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom the Chrystal Skull, Scandal, Contact and V for Vendetta. Hurt’s most recent role was in the 1017 film Jackie. 

Younger audiences enjoyed the actors work through is roles as Mr Ollivander in the Harry Potter films and as the War Doctor in the TV series Doctor Who.

Aside from his portrayal of Quentin Crisp, Hurt played other gay character during his career. He starred opposite teen heartthrob Jason Priestly in the 1997 film Love and Death on Long Island. 

Hurt also lent his voice to a public information film on HIV/AIDS awareness in 1986. His instantly recognisable voice is heard on the Art of Noise’s concept album The Seduction of Claude Debussy. He was also the voice of the rabbit Hazel in the animated film Watership Down.    

Hurt is survived by his fourth wife, Anwen Rees-Meyers.

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