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Bernard Hill dead aged 79: Titanic and Lord of the Rings actor dies as tributes pour in from friends & colleagues
He was due to return to TV screens next Sunday
TRIBUTES are pouring in for a Titanic and Lord of the Rings star who has sadly died aged 79.
Bernard Hill, who also featured in stand-out hits like Boys from the Black Stuff and Gandhi, passed away in the early hours of this morning.
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His agent Lou Coulson today confirmed his tragic death to the , and tributes are already pouring in for the star.
Hill played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film Titanic.
He also went on to star as King Théoden in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Barbara Dickson wrote on X: "It’s with great sadness that I note the death of Bernard Hill.
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"We worked together in John Paul George Ringo and Bert, Willy Russell marvellous show 1974-1975.
"A really marvellous actor. It was a privilege to have crossed paths with him. RIP Benny."
The BBC described him as an "incredible talent" who "blazed a trail across the screen" during his career.
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, said: "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.
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"From Boys from the Blackstuff, to Wolf Hall, The Responder, and many more, we feel truly honoured to have worked with Bernard at the BBC. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this sad time."
Bernard was born in Manchester and studied at Manchester Polytechnic School of Drama.
In 1976 he had his first TV role - as Police Constable Cluff in the Granada Television series Crown Court.
He then went on to play Yosser Hughes in Alan Bleasdale's BBC Boys from the Blackstuff programme.
Hill also appeared on stage in The Cherry Orchard, and the title roles in Macbeth and A View from the Bridge.
In the mid-1990s, Hill began appearing in films more regularly.
His first major role came in The Ghost and the Darkness before he played Captain Edward J. Smith in Titanic.
Hill then played King Théoden of Rohan in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
He returned to the franchise for 2003's The Return Of The King, which picked up 11 Oscars, including best picture and best director for Sir Peter.
Lord of the Rings fans remembered him online, with one saying he was “the man responsible for the most iconic scene in cinematic history” in a battle scene riding to Gondor, the trilogy’s fictional kingdom.
Hill was due to return to TV screens next Sunday in series two of The Responder, a BBC drama starring Martin Freeman.
Away from his work, Hill was an avid Manchester United fan and received an honorary degree from the University of East Anglia in 2019.
The late actor was married to Marianna Hill, an American actress best known for her work in Western films like El Condor and High Plains Drifter.
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The couple shared a son called Gabriel and a daughter together.
Bernard and Marianna resided in Suffolk, England prior to his tragic death.
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