British actor Bernard Hill, who was known for his roles in James Cameron’s Titanic (1997) and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, passed away on May 5, 2024.
The news was confirmed by actor and singer Barbara Dickson. She tweeted, “It’s with great sadness that I note the death of Bernard Hill. We worked together in John Paul George Ringo and Bert, Willy Russell’s marvelous show 1974-1975. A marvelous actor. It was a privilege to have crossed paths with him.”
Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd, known for portraying the hobbits Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, honored their co-star at Comic Con in Liverpool.
Astin began by expressing, “We adore him. He was fearless, he was humorous, he was tough, he was cantankerous, he was splendid.”
Boyd reminisced about watching the trilogy with Monaghan, remarking, “I don’t believe anyone captured Tolkien’s words quite like Bernard did. He could tug at my heartstrings. He will be deeply missed.”
Alan Bleasdale, the writer of Boys from the Blackstuff, described Hill’s passing as a “significant loss and a profound shock.
About his early life
Hill hailed from Blackley, Manchester, and grew up in a Catholic family of miners. He pursued his education at Xaverian College and simultaneously attended Manchester Polytechnic School of Drama alongside Richard Griffiths. In 1970, he completed his studies, earning a diploma in theatre.