Titanic and The Lord of the Rings Actor Bernard Hill Passed Away

English actor, Bernard Hill, renowned for his iconic portrayals of Captain Edward Smith in Titanic and King Théoden in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, has sadly passed away at the age of 79.

Hill’s agent, Lou Coulson, confirmed to BBC that the actor passed away early May 5. His fiancée Alison and his son Gabriel were with him at the time. 

Bernard Hill’s Career Timeline

Many people know him for playing Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film Titanic and King Théoden in the Lord of the Rings. But his breakout role was in the 1982 BBC TV drama Boys from the Blackstuff. In this television drama, he played Yosser Hughes, a character who frequently found it difficult to deal with unemployment in Liverpool.

Paying Tribute to Co-Star Bernard Hill

LOTR cast paid tribute to their co-star at Comic-Con in Liverpool. 

Sean Astin, one of the actors who played the Hobbits, said, “We love him. He was intrepid, funny, gruff, irascible, and beautiful.”  

On X (formerly known as Twitter, Elijah Wood tweeted, “So long to our friend, our king, Bernard Hill.   We will never forget you.”

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.”

photo by Viggo pic.twitter.com/lxjepm5rUZ

— Elijah Wood (@elijahwood) May 5, 2024

Alan Bleasdale, who wrote Boys from the Blackstuff, said Hill’s death was a “great loss and also a great surprise.”

The source said the actor was scheduled to make a comeback to television in the second season of The Responder, a Martin Freeman drama on the BBC. Supposably, the airing begins on Sunday.