Lord of the Rings actor Bernard Hill passes away

Bernard Hills, known for his roles as King Theoden in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Luther Plunkitt, the Warden of San Quentin Prison, in the Clint Eastwood film True Crime, and Captain Edward Smith in Titanic, has passed away at the age of 79.

A statement from his family revealed that Hill died in the early hours of Sunday morning. His son Gabriel and his fiancee Alison were at his side during the time of his demise. The cause of death was not stated.

Hill's first breakout role was in 1983 when he played Yosser Hughes in Boys From the Blackstuff. His character symbolizes the plight of the unemployed in Liverpool during the 1980s. his character was known for his “gizza job” catchphrase. The show won a BAFTA for best drama series that year. Hill appeared in multiple television series during the ’70s and ’80s, including Crown Court, Rooms, Fox, and I, Claudius.

Bernard Hill gained fans in 1997 for his role as Captain Smith in Titanic, which won 11 Oscars. He later joined Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings franchise in 2002 as King Théoden and returned for The Return of the King, which also won 11 Oscars. This made Hill one of the actors with roles in two of the three films with the most Academy Awards of all time. 

Bernard Hill recently collaborated with Martin Freeman on the police drama The Responder, with its second season premiering on BBC One this weekend. Director Lindsay Salt paid tribute to Hill, acknowledging his remarkable career and iconic roles, and highlighting his incredible talent.