'INCREDIBLE TALENT'
Lord of the Rings star Bernard Hill ‘pulled out of cast reunion’ at Comic Con hours before his death aged 79
The legendary actor also played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film Titanic
LORD of the Rings star Bernard Hill pulled out of a cast reunion at a Comic Con event hours before his death.
Bernard, who died aged 79, sadly passed away in the early hours of this morning.
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The legendary actor played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film Titanic.
Hill later went on to star as King Théoden in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Now, it has been revealed that he pulled out of a Lord of the Rings reunion at Comic Con because "his partner was ill".
The star had been due to speak at the event in Liverpool this weekend but cancelled, telling organisers that his wife Marianna was sick.
A message posted on Comic Con's Instagram said: "Due to Bernard's partner being taken very ill he can no longer attend the event.
"He sends his sincere apologies and thanks you all for you understanding."
Just a day before his death, the beloved star was also notably absent from a get-together with his former cast mates, including Orlando Bloom, Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd.
The famous gang were seen posing together on Friday night at a restaurant following the culture convention yet Hill was nowhere to be seen.
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The sad news of his death comes as a video emerged of him telling his fans to "keep going".
After attending Comic Con Scotland in Aberdeen in March, when asked what his plans for after the event, he said: "A good night's sleep.
"It was pretty brutal coming in on that tiny aeroplane. It didn't bother me, I liked it. I left me a bit weary at the end of it."
Tributes have flooded in for the popular Manchester-born star after his tragic death.
Dominic Monaghan has said his Lord Of The Rings co-star Bernard Hill has “passed to the grey havens”, as he paid tribute to the actor following his death aged 79.
Hill played King Theoden alongside Monaghan’s Merry Brandybuck in the two later films of the Oscar-winning fantasy franchise directed by Sir Peter Jackson.
Monaghan posted a photo of Hill backdropped by a lilac sky on Instagram and wrote: “The Broken king has passed to the grey havens but he will always be remembered. #ripbernard.”
Bernard Hill blazed a trail across the screen, and his long-lasting career filled with iconic roles is a testament to his incredible talent.
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama
Meanwhile, the BBC described him as an "incredible talent" who "blazed a trail across the screen" during his career.
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, said: "Bernard Hill blazed a trail across the screen, and his long-lasting career filled with iconic and remarkable roles is a testament to his incredible talent.
"From Boys from the Blackstuff, to Wolf Hall, The Responder, and many more, we feel truly honoured to have worked with Bernard at the BBC. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this sad time."
Barbara Dickson wrote on X: "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.
"A really marvellous actor. It was a privilege to have crossed paths with him. RIP Benny."
Lord of the Rings fans also remembered him online, with one saying he was “the man responsible for the most iconic scene in cinematic history” in a battle scene riding to Gondor, the trilogy’s fictional kingdom.
STELLAR CAREER
In 1976 he had his first TV role - as Police Constable Cluff in the Granada Television series Crown Court.
He then went on to play Yosser Hughes in Alan Bleasdale's BBC Boys from the Blackstuff programme.
Hill also appeared on stage in The Cherry Orchard, and the title roles in Macbeth and A View from the Bridge.
In the mid-1990s, Hill began appearing in films more regularly.
His first major role came in The Ghost and the Darkness before he played Captain Edward J. Smith in Titanic.
Hill then played King Théoden of Rohan in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
He returned to the franchise for 2003's The Return Of The King, which picked up 11 Oscars, including best picture and best director for Sir Peter.
TRAGIC PASSING
Hill was due to return to TV screens next Sunday in series two of The Responder, a BBC drama starring Martin Freeman.
Away from his work, Hill was an avid Manchester United fan and received an honorary degree from the University of East Anglia in 2019.
He studied at Manchester Polytechnic School of Drama.
The late actor was married to Marianna Hill, an American actress best known for her work in Western films like El Condor and High Plains Drifter.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
The couple shared a son called Gabriel and a daughter together.
Bernard and Marianna resided in Suffolk, England prior to his tragic death.
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