Celebrities
Harry Fletcher
May 06, 2024
Titanic/The Lord of the Rings
Tributes have been paid for Bernard Hill, best known for roles in Titanic and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, who has died aged 79.
The actor’s agent Lou Coulson confirmed the news to PA, stating that he had died in the early hours of Sunday morning (5 May).
Hill played Captain Edward Smith in James Cameron’s blockbuster. He was also synonymous with the role of King Theoden in The Lord of the Rings.
Hill’s other roles included True Crime, which saw him star alongside Clint Eastwood in True Crime, as well as for the BBC series Wolf Hall and for his portrayal of Yosser Hughes in Boys from the Blackstuff.
Hill is also the only actor in history to have appeared in more than one film that won 11 or more Oscars, after starring in Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Getty Images
Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood posted a tribute by writing: "So long to our friend, our king, Bernard Hill.
"We will never forget you.
"'For he was a gentle heart and a great king and kept his oaths; and he rose out of the shadows to a last fair morning.'"
Barbra Dickson appeared alongside Hill in a musical based on the Beatles. She wrote: "It's with great sadness that I note the death of Bernard Hill.
"We worked together in John, Paul, George, Ringo and Bert, [by] Willy Russell marvellous show 1974-1975.
"A really marvellous actor. It was a privilege to have crossed paths with him. RIP Benny x"
Sign up for our free indy100 weekly newsletter
How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel
Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings
Top 100
The Conversation (0)