The British actor Bernard Hill, known for his roles in the films ‘Titanic’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’, died this Sunday at the age of 79, according to his representative, Lou Coulson, to the British network BBC.
Hill played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film about the ocean liner tragedy and also King Théoden in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy.
He has been the only actor to have appeared in two films that won eleven Oscars from the Hollywood Academy each, in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ and ‘Titanic’.
Among other performances, that of Yosser Hughes stands out, a character whose life falls apart in the program “Boys from the Blackstuff” of the past 80s.
Born in the town of Blackley (northern England) on December 17, 1944, the actor grew up in a Catholic family of miners and from an early age he was inclined towards dramatic art, which led him to study at the Polytechnic School. of Manchester Drama. He was married to actress Marianna Hill.
He also played Sergeant Putnam in the 1982 film ‘Gandhi’, directed by filmmaker Richard Attenborough, while he played small roles in several drama programs on British television, such as ‘I, Claudius’ (1976), as the Gratus character.
Among other jobs, he played Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, in the BBC’s six-part adaptation of writer Hilary Mantel’s novels ‘Wolf Hall’.
Actress Barbara Dickson, who starred with him in a musical based on the Beatles, was among those who paid tribute to him this Sunday and described him as a “wonderful actor” on the social network X.
“It is with great sadness that I learn of the death of Bernard Hill. We worked together on John, Paul, George, Ringo and Bert, (by) Willy Russell, wonderful show 1974-1975. A truly wonderful actor. It was a privilege to have crossed paths with him. Benny x,” he added.
BBC Drama director Lindsay Salt said today that Hill “blazed a trail on screen and her enduring career full of iconic and notable roles is a testament to her incredible talent.”
From ‘Boys from the Blackstuff’ to ‘Wolf Hall’, and many more, “we are truly honored to have worked with Bernard at the BBC. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this sad time,” Salt added.
