The Lord of the Rings actor Bernard Hill passes away at 79: All to know about the actor

Bernard Hill, known for his roles in movies such as Titanic and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, died on Sunday morning, May 5, 2024, as was confirmed by his agents and reputed news sources such as BBC.

More information on the circumstances surrounding his demise has not been revealed. The actor leaves behind Marianna Hill, his wife—the star of Messiah of Evil, and their son Gabriel.

At the beginning of his acting career, Hill starred in the highly regarded BBC drama Boys from the Blackstuff (1982), which went on to win several accolades and is now regarded as one of the best dramas of its time.

What’s more is that the actor was set to make his comeback to the silver screen in the second season of The Responder, a modern BBC drama starring Martin Freeman. Bernard Hill was scheduled to make an appearance at Comic-Con this week in Liverpool, UK. The event organizers released a statement on his demise:

“We’re heartbroken to hear the news of Bernard Hill’s passing. A great loss. Thinking of his family at this very sad time, and wishing them a lot of strength.”

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Bernard Hill was scheduled to make an appearance at Comic-Con this week

The British actor, born in Manchester on December 17, 1944, grew up in the household of coal mine workers before making his way to theater and drama school.

The world remembers Hill today (Image via IMDb)

The catchphrase “gizza job,” coined by Hill comes from this show. Alan Bleasdale, who wrote Boys from the Blackstuff, said the following to BBC after Bernard’s death was confirmed by his agent Lou Coulson.

"It was a great loss and also a great surprise. (Hill’s role) It was an astonishing, mesmeric performance - Bernard gave everything to that and you can see it in all the scenes," he said.

He continued:

"He became Yosser Hughes. I was desperate to work with him. Everything he did - his whole procedure for working, the manner in which he worked, and his performance was everything that you could ever wish for. You always felt that Bernard would live forever. He had a great strength, physically and of personality."

For the part, he received the 1983 British Academy of Film and Television Arts nomination, and the show took home the BAFTA for Best Drama Series. Bernard Hill has since had frequent appearances on TV and in films, including I, Claudius (1976), Gandhi (1982), True Crime (1999), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999), The Scorpion King (2002), and Valkyrie (2008), starring Tom Cruise.

Hill received fame for his performance as Captain Smith in James Cameron's Titanic in 1997, which received 11 Oscars. After that, he played King Théoden in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films, which included the 2002 film The Two Towers and the 2003 film The Return of the King, which also won 11 Oscars.

Three films hold the record for the most Academy Awards ever given out; two of those films starred Bernard Hill. Hill reflected on his time working on both the second and third films in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, saying to The New York Post:

"I loved every minute of every day that I was on Lord of the Rings."

His passing occurred the same day that the second season of the BBC drama The Responder, in which he portrays Martin Freeman's father, was scheduled to premiere.

Furthermore, Bernard was scheduled to attend Comic Con Liverpool on Saturday, May 4, but was forced to cancel at the last minute, according to a post on X.

As word of Hill's death spread, the organizers of the event stated on the forum that they were devastated and offered his loved ones a lot of courage and strength to get through these hard times.

Fans may catch Bernard Hill for one last time in Martin Freeman-led BBC One series The Responder season 2— which begins airing Sunday, May 5, 2024.