Bernard Hill Dies: ‘Lord Of The Rings’ And ‘Titanic’ Actor Was 79

Bernard Hill died early on Sunday morning, his agent Lou Coulson confirmed. No cause has been given.

He played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film Titanic, and King Théoden in the Lord of the Rings.

His breakout role was in BBC TV drama Boys from the Blackstuff, where he portrayed Yosser Hughes, a character who struggled – and often failed – to cope with unemployment in Liverpool.

Hill will be seen in series two of The Responder, a BBC drama starring Martin Freeman, which begins airing on Sunday.

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