An incredible Oscars record was set 20 years ago thanks to an actor from Titanic and The Lord of the Rings. It might seem as though Titanic and the Lord of the Rings franchise have little in common, but awards success is one area they both found success. James Cameron’s 1997 movie was a juggernaut during the 1998 Academy Awards as it racked up 14 nominations, winning a majority of the categories, including Best Picture and Best Director. The cast of Titanic was only responsible for earning two Oscar nominations, as Leonardo DiCaprio was left out of the race, while Kate Winslet and Gloria Stewart were both recognized.
Peter Jackson’s original The Lord of the Rings movies also experienced its fair share of Oscars glory. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring secured 13 nominations, while The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers got six. Both movies became Oscar winners, but the true celebration of the franchise was held off until The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. The movie achieved a fairly rare accomplishment when it won all the categories it was nominated in. This helped cement Titanic and Return of the King as two of the biggest Oscar hits in history, which made history for one actor.
Bernard Hill Is The Only Actor To Be In Two Movies With 11 Oscar Wins
Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: Return of the Kings hold a place in Oscars history as being two of three movies to win the most Oscars. Their 11 wins is a record number in the entire history of the Academy Awards. What makes this even more incredible is that the two movies do share a single cast member. Actor Bernard Hill plays roles in both Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. While he was not recognized for his work in either movie, the fact that Hill appeared in both makes him the only person to appear in two movies that won 11 Oscars.
Admittedly, the odds of there being another actor who could challenge this claim is rather slim. Outside of Titanic and Return of the King, the only other movie to win 11 Oscars is 1959’s Ben-Hur. Bernard Hill was not in the historical epic, as he was only 14 by the time the movie was released. While Titanic and The Lord of the Rings both have incredible casts, major stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, and others did not appear in both films. That leaves Bernard Hill alone in the history books as seemingly a good luck charm for a movie to be a major Oscar contender.
Who Bernard Hill Plays In Titanic & Lord Of The Rings
Bernard Hill is not the star of either Titanic or The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, but he still plays vital roles in both movies. He played Captain Smith in Titanic, putting him squarely in the panic about what was going to happen to the ship. Hill’s role in the Lord of the Rings movies was a bit more substantive, as he played Théoden in all three installments. The seventh king of Rohan proved to be a valuable ally in the fight against Sauron. Neither of these roles may have brought Bernard Hill recognition for his performances, but his place in Oscars history is still secured.
