Bernard Hill, the actor best known for his memorable performances in “Titanic” and the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, has died, according to reports. He was 79.
Hill’s death was confirmed on Sunday by his agent to the BBC and The Associated Press. No cause of death was provided.
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Hill.
Hill portrayed Captain Edward Smith in James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster “Titanic,” which won the Oscar for best picture and earned the actor a nomination, along with his co-stars, for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Bernard Hill attends the Royal Film Performance of ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ on December 12, 2012 in London.
Hill also played King Théoden in 2002’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” and 2003’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”
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Like “Titanic,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” won the Oscar for best picture in 2004. Between “Return of the King” and “Titanic,” Hill is the only actor to have starred in two different movies that both won 11 Academy Awards, according to Screen Rant.
Hill also played Yosser Hughes in the BBC series “Boys from the Blackstuff,” and he appeared in films like “Valkyrie,” “ParaNorman” and “True Crime.”
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In a 2022 interview with Metro, the actor reflected that he didn’t know how big of a hit “Titanic” would become while shooting the film, which stood as the highest-grossing movie ever made for more than a decade.
“It didn’t seem iconic from my point of view,” he told the outlet. Hill also said he did background research on the real captain he was playing in “Titanic” and “thought I was doing him justice.”
Hill had been scheduled to appear at Comic Con Liverpool this weekend along with several other “Lord of the Rings” stars. In a post on social media, the convention said it was “heartbroken” to hear about his passing, adding, “A great loss. Thinking of his family at this very sad time, and wishing them a lot of strength.”
At the convention on Sunday, “The Lord of the Rings” stars Sean Astin, Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan paid tribute to their former co-star, according to video shared by ITV News.
“We love him,” Astin said of the “funny” and “beautiful” actor, while Boyd said that no one “spoke (J. R. R.) Tolkien’s words as great as” he did. “He was a wonderful man and he’ll be sorely missed,” Boyd added.
“Better Call Saul” star Michael McKean, who worked with Hill on the movie “True Crime,” also paid tribute to the actor on social media. “A gent, of course,” he posted on X. “Also funny, smart and flawless at the job. RIP, sir.”
