Bernard Hill, known for his role in Lord of the Rings, passes away at 79

Actor Bernard Hill, best known for his role of King Theoden in the The Lord of the Rings trilogy, has died at the age of 79.

Hill died early Sunday morning, with his death confirmed by his agent, Lou Coulson. In addition to The Lord of the Rings, Hill was also known for playing Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 film Titanic.

Prior to these films, Hill made a name for himself when he played the character Yosser Hughes in Boys from the Blackstuff, a television series that aired on BBC.

The actor had initially been scheduled to appear at Comic Con Liverpool in the United Kingdom this weekend, but had canceled his appearance at the last minute.

“We’re heartbroken to hear the news of Bernard Hill’s passing,” read a statement from Comic Con Liverpool on X. “A great loss. Thinking of his family at this very sad time, and wishing them a lot of strength.”

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Titanic, released in 1997 and directed by James Cameron, went on to win 11 Academy Awards, including Best Film. Meanwhile, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which was released in 2003 and directed by Peter Jackson, also won 11 Academy Awards, winning all of its nominations including Best Film.

Hill will have a role in season two of The Responder, which will air its premiere on Sunday night. The police drama series stars Martin Freeman, best known for playing Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit trilogy.