Actor Bernard Hill, best known for his roles in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Titanic, has died at the age of 79. Today we will discuss about Bernard Hill DEAD: Lord Of The Rings and Titanic actor dies.
Bernard Hill DEAD: Lord Of The Rings and Titanic actor dies
Bernard Hill, who also starred in such extraordinary hits as Boys from the Black Stuff and Gandhi, died early this morning.
His agent Lou Coulson confirmed his tragic death to the BBC today, and tributes are already pouring in to the star.
Hill played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film Titanic.
He also starred as King Théoden in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Barbara Dixon wrote on X: “It is with great sadness that I note the death of Bernard Hill.
“We worked together on John Paul George Ringo and Bert, Willy Russell’s Amazing Show 1974-1975.
“Truly an amazing actor. It was a privilege to meet him. RIP Benny.”
The BBC described him as an “incredible talent” who “made his mark on the screen” throughout his career.
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, said: “Bernard Hill left his mark on the screen, and his long-running career full of iconic and notable roles is testament to his incredible talent.
“From Boys from the Blackstuff to Wolf Hall, The Responder and many more, we are truly honored to have worked with Bernard at the BBC. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this tragic time.”
Bernard was born in Manchester and attended Manchester Polytechnic School of Drama.
His first TV role in 1976 was as Police Constable Cluff in the Granada Television series Crown Court.
He then played Yosser Hughes in Alan Bleasdale’s BBC Boys in the Blackstuff programme.
Hill also appeared on stage in The Cherry Orchard and in the title roles in Macbeth and A View from the Bridge.
In the mid-1990s, Hill began appearing in films more regularly.
Captain Edward J. Titanic Before playing Smith, his first major role came in The Ghost and the Darkness.
Hill then played Theoden, King of Rohan, in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
He returned to the franchise for 2003’s The Return of the King, which earned 11 Oscars.
Lord Of The Rings and Titanic actor dies
He played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film and King Theoden in The Lord of the Rings.
His breakout role was in the 1982 BBC TV drama Boys from the Blackstuff, where he played Yosser Hughes, a character who struggles – and often fails – to deal with unemployment in Liverpool.
He died Sunday morning, his agent Lou Colson confirmed.
His fiancee Alison and their son Gabriel were with him at that time.
Alan Bleasdale, who wrote Boys from the Blackstuff, said that Hill’s death was “a great loss and also a great surprise”.
“It was an astonishing, mesmerizing performance – Bernard gave it everything and you could see it in all the scenes. He became Yosser Hughes.”
He further added, “I was desperate to work with him. Everything he did – his whole process of working, the way he worked and his performance was everything you could ever want.”
“You always felt that Bernard would live forever. He had great strength, both physically and personality.”
Hill, who was from Manchester and lived in Suffolk, was due to return to TV screens in series two of BBC drama The Responder starring Martin Freeman, which begins airing on Sunday.
BBC Drama Director Lindsay Salt paid tribute to him, saying: “Bernard Hill left his mark on the screen, and his long-running career full of iconic and remarkable roles is testament to his incredible talent.”
“From Boys from the Blackstuff to Wolf Hall, The Responder and many more, we are truly honored to have worked with Bernard at the BBC. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this tragic time.”
In Boys from the Blackstuff, Hill received praise for his serious portrayal of Yosser Hughes, an intense and memorable character who sought a “giza job” when seeking work.
That show won the BAFTA Award for Best Drama Series in 1983 and was included in the British Film Institute’s list of the best TV shows of all time in 2000.
Another of Hill’s memorable BBC TV performances came in the 2015 drama series Wolf Hall, adapted from Hilary Mantel’s book about the court of Henry VIII. Hill portrayed the Duke of Norfolk – Anne Boleyn’s uncle and enemy of Cardinal Wolsey.
Bernard Hill DEAD: Lord Of The Rings and Titanic actor dies
Hill was also highly regarded for his performance in Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy The Lord of the Rings.
He joined the cast for the second film, 2002’s The Two Towers, and returned to the franchise for 2003’s The Return of the King, which won 11 Oscars.
Lord of the Rings co-star Dominic Monaghan said in a statement on Instagram that Hill “has passed on to the gray havens”.
“But he will always be remembered,” he said.
Other roles in Hill’s decades-long career include the 1976 BBC TV series I, Claudius, an appearance in 1982’s Gandhi, Shirley Valentine in 1989, The Scorpion King in 2002, and the Tom Cruise film Valkyrie in 2008.
A post on X said he was supposed to be at Comic Con Liverpool on Saturday, but the convention had to cancel at the last minute. As news of his death broke, organizers said on stage that they were “saddened” to be at Hills. death, and wished his family “a lot of strength”.
Scottish musician Barbara Dixon also paid tribute to Axe, saying he was “truly a wonderful actor”.
He added, “It was a privilege to meet him. RIP Benny X.”
