Bernard Hill, a character actor with memorable performances in Titanic and Lord of the Rings, has passed away at the age of 79.
He passed away in the early hours of Sunday morning, as confirmed by his agent Lou Coulson to the BBC. No cause of death was given.
His breakout role came in the 1982 BBC TV drama Boys from the Blackstuff as Yosser Hughes. He played a man who struggled to deal with unemployment in Liverpool, often without success.
In that same year, he took on the role of Sergeant Putnam in the film Gandhi, directed by Richard Attenborough. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Hill was featured in several prominent British television series, such as I, Claudius, Crown Court, Rooms, Fox, and Jackanory.
Bernard Hill Appeared in Two of the Three Films That Have Won the Most Academy Awards
In 1997, Hill starred in James Cameron’s epic Titanic. He played Edward Smith, the captain of the infamous ship on its maiden and last voyage across the Atlantic, sinking with it after hitting an iceberg. The film went on to clinch 11 Oscars.
He subsequently played a pivotal role as King Théoden in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings series. He featured in The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003), with the latter also winning 11 Oscars.
Incredibly, between Titanic and The Return of the King, Hill acted in two of the three films that hold the record for the most Academy Awards. The third film sharing this honor is Ben-Hur.
In 2015, Hill portrayed the Duke of Norfolk, Anne Boleyn’s uncle, in the BBC miniseries Wolf Hall. The miniseries garnered the BAFTA award for Best Drama Series.
Hill, born December 17, 1944, in Blackley, Manchester, had an acting career that spanned more than five decades. Throughout this time, he appeared in an array of significant films of varying genres. These films include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999), The Scorpion King (2002), Valkyrie (2008), and ParaNorman (2012).
Meanwhile, Hill was poised for a TV comeback. He stars alongside Martin Freeman in the BBC drama The Responder‘s second season, premiering over the weekend.
He leaves behind his wife, Marianna Hill, and his son, Gabriel.