(CNN) — British actor Bernard Hill, best known for his supporting roles in “Titanic” and the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, has died, his family announced this Sunday.
“It is with the greatest sadness that we must announce that Bernard Hill, renowned actor known for his roles in ‘Titanic’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ passed away this morning at the age of 79,” his family said in a statement.
“He was with his fiancée Alison and his son Gabriel.”
Hill achieved fame in his native country starring in 1982’s “Boys from the Blackstuff,” a gritty drama about unemployed men that became a symbol of the Thatcher era.
However, audiences know him best for his smaller roles, in which he brought his understated dignity to some of the most successful films in cinema history.
In James Cameron’s 1997 Oscar-winning “Titanic,” Hill plays the ship’s captain, Edward Smith, a man tormented by his role in the tragedy and ultimately resigned to his fate.
The last time we see him is alone, clinging to the ship’s rudder, before the waters burst through the windows.
Bernard Hill in “The Return of the King”, 2003. (Credit: New Line/Kobal/Shutterstock)
Hill later appeared in two parts of Peter Jackson’s blockbuster series “The Lord of the Rings” as Theoden, king of Rohan, who in “The Two Towers” is manipulated by his advisor before becoming a heroic leader in “The Return of the King”.
Other film roles included “Gandhi”, “Shirley Valentine” and “The Scorpion King”.
His agent Lou Coulson told the PA news agency that he died in the early hours of Sunday. CNN was contacted separately for comment.
In her tribute, BBC Drama director Lindsay Salt said Hill “blazed a trail across the screen, and her long career filled with iconic and notable roles is a testament to her incredible talent.”
