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Bernard Hill, who starred Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings series and James Cameron’s Titanic, has passed away. He was 79.
Hill played King Theoden in The Lord of the Rings and Captain Edward Smith in 1997’s Titanic. He turned in memorable performances in both films, and his lines from The Lord of the Rings specifically–some of which were direct passages from the books–are often quoted by fans.
Hill passed away on the morning of May 5. His fiancee Alison and son Gabriel were by his side. The BBC, which confirmed Hill’s death with his agent, did not mention a cause of death.
Hill’s Lord of the Rings co-stars Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan attended the Livepool Comic-Con this weekend and commented on Hill’s passing just after the news broke. Astin said, “We love him. He was intrepid, he was funny, he was gruff, he was irascible, he was beautiful.”
Boyd offered, “I don’t think anyone spoke Tolkien’s words as great as Bernard did. He would break my heart. He will be solely missed.”
Tributes to Hill have poured in since the news of his death. Kiran Shah, who was a stand-in for Hobbit characters in The Lord of the Rings and Titanic, said Hill was a “true gent and a wonderful actor.”
Jackson shared a statement on Facebook, writing, “It is hard to imagine a world without Bernard in it.”
He added: “To say he was full of life is an understatement. He was a one of the funniest and quickest witted people we ever had the good fortune to work with. His performance as Theoden, King of Rohan, is beloved by millions and stands testament to his brilliance as an actor.”
Wood, who played Frodo in The Lord of the Rings, said on social media, “So long to our friend, our king, Bernard Hill. We will never forget you.”
Cameron spoke about Hill’s acting skills on Titanic’s director’s commentary track, which is resurfacing now in the wake of the actor’s death. In the clip, Cameron said he was originally wanting Hill to do more with his scenes, but upon reflection, the director saw that Hill was bringing his acting brilliance to the screen in more subtle ways.
Jed Brophy, who appeared in Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies, eulogized Hill, writing, “You’ve passed and my heart is broken. Everyone who was lucky enough to meet and work with you admired you so greatly.”
In addition to his roles in The Lord of the Rings and Titanic, Hill is known for playing Philos in The Scorpion King and for his parts in Valkyrie and Clint Eastwood’s True Crime. Hill’s latest role was on BBC’s The Responder, which came back for its second season on May 5, the day he died.
