Bernard Hill, Titanic and Lord of the Rings Actor, Dead at 79

Bernard Hill, the actor best known for his roles as Captain Edward Smith in Titanic and King Théoden in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, has died at the age of 79, his agent confirmed to BBC. Between 1997’s Titanic and 2003’s The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Hill had the distinction of being the only actor to appear in multiple films that would go on to win 11 Academy Awards. Hill’s other films include Gandhi (1982), True Crime (1999), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999). On television, Hill was known for playing Yosser Hughes in Alan Bleasdale’s Boys from the Blackstuff in 1982, as well as for his more recent turn in 2015’s Wolf Hall. Hill’s death comes just hours before he was set to return to television in the second season of the Martin Freeman-led BBC One series The Responder — which begins airing Sunday, May 5.