Lord Of The Rings And Titanic Actor Bernard Hill Dies Aged 79

Bernard Hill in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ (2003), Courtesy of New Line Cinema.

Bernard Hill, the actor best known for his roles in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy and ‘Titanic,’ has sadly passed away on May 5, 2024 at the age of 79.

Hill iconically played Théoden, King of Rohan, in the Oscar-winning fantasy film trilogy based on the novels by JRR Tolkien. Hill also played the captain of the doomed Titanic that sunk in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean in James Cameron’s tragic masterpiece.

The news was confirmed to the BBC by Lou Coulson (his agent), who said that he had died in the early hours of Sunday morning. A complete statement from Hill’s family is expected soon.

Hill was the only actor in history to have appeared in more than one film that won 11 or more Oscars from 1997 (‘Titanic’) to 2003 (‘LOTR: The Return Of The King’).

Further film accolades included Gandhi (1982), Mountains of the Moon (1990), Skallagrigg (1994) and Madagascar Skin (1995). In the 1990s, Hill’s profile grew within Hollywood by landing major parts in films such as The Ghost And The Darkness (1996) opposite Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas — which elevated his career prior to The Lord Of The Rings.

Bernard Hill’s final role was in ‘The Responder’ (BBC, 2024).