Singer and actress Barbara Dickson led tributes to Titanic and Lord of the Rings actor Bernard Hill following his death aged 79 on Sunday.
The star, who played Captain Edward Smith in the Oscar-winning 1997 film, died in the early hours of this morning, his agent said.
The father of one son, he became known for a generation for his portrayal of King Theoden in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
In the process he starred in two films, Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which won 11 Oscars and exceeded one billion dollars at the box office.
Barbara, who worked with him on several projects, wrote in X after learning of his death: “It is with great sadness that I note the death of Bernard Hill.
Singer and actress Barbara Dickson led tributes to Titanic and Lord of the Rings actor Bernard Hill following his death aged 79 on Sunday.
Barbara, who worked with him on several projects, wrote in X after learning of his death: “It is with great sadness that I note the passing of Bernard Hill.”
‘We worked together on John Paul George Ringo and Bert, Willy Russell’s wonderful show 1974-1975.
‘A truly wonderful actor. It was a privilege to have crossed paths with him. RIP Benny.’
Meanwhile, Comic Con Liverpool wrote: “We are heartbroken to hear the news of Bernard Hill’s passing. A great loss. Thinking of his family at this very sad time and wishing them much strength.”
One fan wrote: ‘When I was a kid I watched LOTR (and all the extra features) every day, so when someone involved dies I feel like I’m losing a friend. Bernard Hill gave such a beautiful, nuanced and human performance in the trilogy, which made the fantasy world seem so real. Rest in peace.
Another said: “Very sad to hear of the death of Bernard Hill, creator of the most powerful performance of the 80s.”
His death comes hours before his return to television in Martin Freeman’s drama The Responder, which airs on BBC One tonight.
The Manchester native had a varied career on screen, rising to fame acting in small realistic dramas, before starring in films that earned billions around the world.
Born in Blackley to a family of coal miners, he would attend acting school with Richard Griffiths, before moving into television.
After small roles in Hard Labor and the poorly received but now acclaimed I, Claudio, he got his first big break in the early 1980s.
The actor was cast as Yosser Hughes, a working-class Liverpudlian in The Black Stuff and its sequel, Boys from the Blackstuff, in 1982.
The same year he took on the role of Sergeant Putnam in Richard Attenborough’s Oscar-winning biopic Gandhi, before starring in the 1983 BBC adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic play Henry VI, in which he played the Duke of York. .
The father of one son, he became known for a generation for his portrayal of King Theoden in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Meanwhile, Comic Con Liverpool wrote: ‘We are heartbroken to hear the news of Bernard Hill’s passing. A great loss.’
One fan said: “So sad to hear of the passing of Bernard Hill, creator of the most powerful performance of the 80s.”
The actor also played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film Titanic (pictured).
Bernard Hill had a varied career on screen, rising to fame acting in small, down-to-earth dramas before starring in films that earned billions around the world. Pictured: Hill at the premiere of ‘Gods Own Country’ in Edinburgh in June 2017.
He would later be cast as Captain Edward Smith in James Cameron’s mammoth film, Titanic.
In the 1997 film, he played the captain of the infamous ship on what would be his first and only voyage across the Atlantic, before going down with the ship after hitting an iceberg.
The actor lived in Suffolk and is survived by his wife Marianna Hill and son Gabriel.