Bernard Hill, British actor best known for his roles in “Titanic” and the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, has died at the age of 79.
According to the BBC, Hill died early Sunday morning, his agent Lou Coulson confirmed. A statement from his family is expected soon.
He played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film and in the King Théoden in the Rings trilogy.
His breakout role was in the BBC television drama Boys from the Blackstuff, where he played Yosser Hughes, a character who struggled (and often failed) to cope with unemployment in Liverpool.
Hill was due to return to television screens in the second series of The Responder, a BBC drama starring Martin Freeman, which begins broadcasting on Sunday.
In “Boys from the Blackstuff,” Bernard Hill received praise for his courageous portrayal of Yosser Hughes, an intense and memorable character.
That show won a Bafta for best drama series in 1983, and in 2000 it was ranked seventh on the British Film Institute’s list of the best television programs ever made.
Another of Bernard Hill’s memorable performances on BBC TV came in the 2015 drama series Wolf Hall, adapted from Hilary Mantel’s book about the court of Henry VIII. Hill played the Duke of Norfolk, Anne Boleyn’s uncle and Cardinal Wolsey’s enemy.
Singer and actress Barbara Dickson was one of the first to pay tribute to Bernard Hill on social media, writing in a statement. “It is with great sadness that I note the death of Bernard Hill. We worked together on the wonderful John Paul George show Ringo and Bert, Willy Russell 1974-1975. A truly wonderful actor. It was a privilege to have crossed paths with him. RIP Benny x».
