Actor Bernard Hill, of Titanic and Lord of the Rings, dies at 79
- In Lord of the Rings, the British actor played Theoden, King of Rohan and in Titanic, he went down with the ship as captain Captain Edward Smith
- Hill’s death came the same day the second series of BBC drama The Responder was to broadcast. He played the father of lead actor Martin Freeman
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and went down with the ship as the captain in Titanic, has died.
Hill, 79, died on Sunday morning, his agent Lou Coulson said.
Hill joined The Lord Of The Rings franchise in the second film of the trilogy, 2002’s The Two Towers, as Theoden, King of Rohan. The following year, he reprised the role in Return of the King, a film that won 11 Oscars.
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In one of the film’s most memorable scenes, Hill’s character fires up his overmatched forces by delivering a battle cry on horseback that sends his troops thundering downhill towards the enemy and his own imminent death.
“Arise, arise, riders of Theoden!” Hill shouts. “Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered! A sword day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now! Ride now! Ride! Ride for ruin and the world’s ending! Death! Death! Death!”
Lord Of The Rings director Peter Jackson, centre, with Bernard Hill, left, and Viggo Mortensen, right. Photo: SCMPOST
In Titanic, Hill played Captain Edward Smith, one of the only characters based on a real person in the 1997 tragic romance starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. The film also won 11 Academy Awards.
As the doomed ship takes on water, Hill’s character silently retreats to the wheelhouse. As the cabin groans under the pressure of the waves, he takes a final breath and grabs the wheel as water bursts through the windows.
Hill first made a name for himself as Yosser Hughes in Boys From the Blackstuff, a 1982 British television miniseries about five unemployed men.
He was nominated for an award in 1983 from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for the role, and the show won the BAFTA for best drama series.
Hill’s death came the same day the second series of the BBC drama The Responder was to broadcast, in which he played the father of the show’s star, Martin Freeman.
“Bernard Hill blazed a trail across the screen, and his long-lasting career filled with iconic and remarkable roles is a testament to his incredible talent, said Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama. “Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this sad time.”
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