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6th May 2024
11:21am BST
Yesterday afternoon, the heartbreaking news emerged that Bernard Hill had died aged 79.
First famed for his role of Yosser Hughes in Boys from the Blackstuff with that age-old Gizza Job catch-phrase, Hill eventually gained roles in blockbusters, including Gandhi and The Bounty.
However, Hill is perhaps best known for is his roles in two of the most significant pieces of cinema in the last 30 years – Titanic and The Lord of the Rings.
In the iconic Lord of the Rings trilogy, Hill played Théoden, King of Rohan.
Fans of the franchise will remember his memorable speech in the third film.
Fellow Lord of the Ring's star Elijah Wood, who was in Liverpool over the weekend, has since paid tribute to 'our king' Bernard Hill.
Taking to X, Wood shared a photo of Hill taken by Viggo Mortensen, who played Aragorn, and wrote: "So long to our friend, our king, Bernard Hill. We will never forget you.
“'For he was a gentle heart and a great king and kept his oaths; and he rose out of the shadows to a last fair morning'.”
Hill also played Captain Edward Smith in the Oscar-winning Titanic, and is the only actor in history to have appeared in more than one of the three films awarded 11 Academy Awards.
Hill was born in born in Blackley, Manchester to a Catholic family of miners, and was a lifelong supporter of Manchester United FC.
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