Lord of the Rings actor Bernard Hill dies aged 79

Actor Bernard Hill, champion known for roles successful Titanic and Lord of the Rings, has died aged 79.

He played Captain Edward Smith successful the 1997 Oscar-winning movie and King Théoden successful the Lord of the Rings.

His breakout relation was successful BBC TV play Boys from the Blackstuff, wherever helium portrayed Yosser Hughes, a quality who struggled - and often failed - to header with unemployment successful Liverpool.

He died aboriginal connected Sunday morning, his cause Lou Coulson confirmed.

Alan Bleasdale, who wrote Boys from the Blackstuff, said Hill's decease was "a large nonaccomplishment and besides a large surprise".

"It was an astonishing, mesmeric show - Bernard gave everything to that and you tin spot it successful each the scenes. He became Yosser Hughes."

He added: "I was hopeless to enactment with him. Everything helium did - his full process for working, the mode successful which helium worked and his show was everything that you could ever privation for.

"You ever felt that Bernard would unrecorded forever. He had a large strength, physically and of personality."

Hill, who was from Manchester, was owed to instrumentality to TV screens successful bid 2 of The Responder, a BBC play starring Martin Freeman, which begins airing connected Sunday.

Lindsay Salt, manager of BBC Drama, paid tribute to him, saying: "Bernard Hill blazed a way crossed the screen, and his long-lasting vocation filled with iconic and singular roles is simply a testament to his unthinkable talent."

"From Boys from the Blackstuff, to Wolf Hall, The Responder, and galore more, we consciousness genuinely honoured to person worked with Bernard astatine the BBC. Our thoughts are with his loved ones astatine this bittersweet time."

In Boys from the Blackstuff, Hill drew praise for his gritty portrayal of Yosser Hughes, an aggravated and memorable quality who pleaded "Gizza job" arsenic helium sought work.

That amusement won a Bafta for champion play bid successful 1983, and successful 2000 it was ranked seventh connected a British Film Institute database of the champion TV shows ever made.

Another of Hill's memorable BBC TV performances came successful the 2015 play bid Wolf Hall, adapted from Hilary Mantel's publication astir the tribunal of Henry VIII. Hill portrayed the Duke of Norfolk - an uncle of Anne Boleyn and an force of Cardinal Wolsey.

Hill was besides overmuch loved for his performances successful Peter Jackson's epic trilogy The Lord of the Rings.

He joined the formed for the 2nd film, 2002's The Two Towers, and returned to the franchise for 2003's The Return Of The King, which picked up 11 Oscars.

Other roles successful his decades-long vocation included the 1976 BBC TV bid I, Claudius, an quality successful 1982's Gandhi, Shirley Valentine successful 1989, The Scorpion King successful 2002 and 2008 Tom Cruise movie Valkyrie.

Hill was meant to beryllium astatine Comic Con Liverpool connected Saturday, but had to cancel astatine the past minute, the normal said successful a station connected X. As quality of his decease broke, the organisers said connected the level they were "heartbroken" astatine Hill's death, and wished his household "a batch of strength".

Scottish instrumentalist Barbara Dickson besides paid tribute connected X, saying helium was "a truly marvellous actor".

She added: "It was a privilege to person crossed paths with him. RIP Benny x."