Titanic and Lord of the Rings legend dies as fan tributes flood in
Titanic and Lord of the Rings legend Bernard Hill has passed away at the age of 79, prompting a wave of emotional tributes from fans.
The news of his passing was confirmed by his agent Lou Coulson on Sunday, May 5, who revealed he died peacefully in the early hours of the day.
A full statement from his family is due to be released.
The actor earned icon status for his standout roles as Captain Edward Smith in the Oscar-winning blockbuster Titanic and as King Theoden in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Throughout a sparkling career that began with Boys from the Blackstuff, Bernard picked up an impressive 11 Academy Awards, reports the Daily Star.
Now, his legions of loyal fans have taken to social media to celebrate his life and work.
One message read: "Very sad to hear of the death of Bernard Hill, creator of the most powerful performance of the 80s."
Another touched fan commented: "Rest in Peace Bernard Hill - the man responsible for THE most iconic scene in cinematic history. A sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now, ride now, ride to Gondor!"
One saddened follower expressed their heartbreak, wishing the family well during this difficult time, whilst another wrote: "Godspeed, Bernard Hill. Folks will be sharing memories of his various roles today, but for me, Theoden King stands alone - a standout performance in a film series full of standout performances. May his family be comforted during this difficult time."
Singer and actress Barbara Dickson also shared her sorrow and wrote: "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 marvellous show 1974-1975."
His tragic death comes after Bernard, known for his role in the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, expressed his disinterest in Amazon Prime's new series The Rings of Power.
When asked if he would tune into the eight-episode series, he bluntly responded: "No, not interested. It's a money-making venture and I'm not interested in watching that or being in it. Good luck to them and all that stuff but it's not like the real thing."
The actor believed the Lord of the Rings franchise should have concluded with the original films, as he previously remarked: "I think they were pushing it when they made The Hobbit. The Hobbit's a tiny book."
He acknowledged that The Hobbit was well-executed and said: "They did it well they did it really, really well. They expanded it [but] I think you can only stretch a piece of elastic so far. I think they managed it in The Hobbit because there were some really good things in [it] without a doubt."
