Bernard Hill
Known for
An English actor born in Manchester, remembered for two towering blockbuster roles: the doomed Captain Edward Smith in James Cameron's 'Titanic' (1997) and King Théoden of Rohan in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers' (2002) and 'The Return of the King' (2003), making him one of the few actors to appear in multiple films to win eleven Academy Awards. He first made his name as Yosser Hughes in the series 'Boys from the Blackstuff'. He died in 2024. A powerful, dignified character actor, Hill brought authority and deep feeling to his most famous roles.
Bernard Hill
55 Movies
25 Series
An English actor born in Manchester, remembered for two towering blockbuster roles: the doomed Captain Edward Smith in James Cameron's 'Titanic' (1997) and King Théoden of Rohan in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers' (2002) and 'The Return of the King' (2003), making him one of the few actors to appear in multiple films to win eleven Academy Awards. He first made his name as Yosser Hughes in the series 'Boys from the Blackstuff'. He died in 2024. A powerful, dignified character actor, Hill brought authority and deep feeling to his most famous roles.
Movies
Plays Théoden
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2003
Plays Théoden
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2002
Plays Captain Smith
Titanic
1997
Plays Philos
The Scorpion King
2002
Plays General - Desert Sequence
Valkyrie
2008
Plays Phil Parsons
Gothika
2003
Plays Dr. David Hawthorne
The Ghost and the Darkness
1996
Plays Sergeant Putnam
Gandhi
1982
Plays Egeus
A Midsummer Night's Dream
1999
Plays William Cole
The Bounty
1984
Plays Warden Luther Plunkitt
True Crime
1999
Plays Edward Colt
Wimbledon
2004
Plays Trevor Field
Runners
1983
Plays Dennis
Joy Division
2006
Plays Dr. Livingstone
Mountains of the Moon
1990
Plays Esser
Franklyn
2008
Plays Oscar Smith
Forever Young
2024
Plays Thornley
The Moor
2024
Plays Henry Madgett
Drowning by Numbers
1988
Plays Joe Bradshaw
Shirley Valentine
1989
Plays The Engine Driver
The Wind in the Willows
1996
Plays King William III
The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse
2005
Plays John Claridge
North v South
2015
Plays Bottom (voice)
A Midsummer Night's Dream
1992
Plays Susan's Father
The Loss of Sexual Innocence
1999
Plays Murray
Going Off Big Time
2000
Plays John Joe
The Boys & Girl from County Clare
2003
Plays Edward Tulliver
The Mill on the Floss
1997
Plays Frederick
A Question of Faith
2000
Plays Hiller
Bellman and True
1987
Plays Abel Magwitch
Great Expectations
1999
Plays Uncle David
The Kid
2010
Plays Arthur
Golden Years
2016
Plays Oscar Kurz
Save Angel Hope
2007
Plays Blind Freddie
Trial by Combat
1976
Plays Nick
The Chain
1984
Plays Sr. Crown
The Heart of the Earth
2007
Plays The voice of Stalin
Eisenstein
2000
Plays Will's father
Restless Natives
1985
Plays Tam Ferrier
Shepherd on the Rock
1993
Plays Cranleigh
Outpost 11
2012
Plays Flint
Madagascar Skin
1995
Plays Ignatius 'Iggy' Smith
Double X: The Name of the Game
1992
Plays Det. Insp. Walker
The Criminal
1999
Plays Bernard
No Surrender
1985
TV Shows
Plays Vin Fox
Fox
1980
Plays Gerard Hopkirk
Five Days
2007
Plays Himself - Narrator
Surviving Disaster
2006
Plays Graham
Play for Today
1970
Plays Duke of Norfolk
Wolf Hall
2015
Plays Uncle Fred
Lipstick on Your Collar
1993
Plays Father Robert Greaves
Unforgotten
2015
Plays Yosser Hughes
Boys from the Blackstuff
1982
Plays Tom Carson
The Responder
2022
Plays Len Russell
Hope and Wire
2014
Plays George Crosby
Sunshine
2008
Plays Frank nickle
The Gambling Man
1995
Plays Samuel
From There to Here
2014
Plays John
Screen Two
1985
Plays Abel Magwitch
Great Expectations
1999
Plays Gratus
I, Claudius
1976
Plays Carson
BBC2 Play of the Week
1977
Plays Chief Constable Harmsworth
Between the Lines
1992
Plays Frank Beasley
Shrinks
1991
Plays Bottom (voice)
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales
1992
Plays Grettongrat
Fairy Tales
2008
Plays Policeman
Village Hall
1974
Plays Boris
The Glamour Girls
1980
Plays Harry 'Sharky' Finn
Pickersgill People
1978
Plays Octavian Barbu
ScreenPlay
1986
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
The Moor
Full Filmography
The Moor
Thornley
2024
Film
Forever Young
Oscar Smith
2024
Film
The Responder
Tom Carson · 5 episodes
2022–
TV
Segunda oportunidad
Peter
2018
Film
Interlude: City of a Dead Woman
Richard
2017
Film
Golden Years
Arthur
2016
Film
North v South
John Claridge
2015
Film
Unforgotten
Father Robert Greaves · 6 episodes
2015–
TV
Wolf Hall
Duke of Norfolk · 6 episodes
2015–
TV
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bernard Hill still alive?
Bernard Hill passed away on May 5, 2024 at age 79.
What are the most famous roles of Bernard Hill?
Bernard Hill is best known for roles in Titanic, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
How many movies has Bernard Hill been in?
Over a 51-year career (since 1973), Bernard Hill has appeared in 54 movies and 24 TV shows.
What was Bernard Hill's first movie?
The career of Bernard Hill began with Hard Labour (1973).
What is Bernard Hill's most recent movie or series?
Bernard Hill's most recent release is The Moor, which premiered on June 14, 2024.
What TV shows has Bernard Hill appeared in?
On television, Bernard Hill has appeared in Unforgotten, Wolf Hall, I, Claudius, The Responder.
Bernard Hill
1944-12-17 · Blackley, Manchester, England, UK
Bernard Hill (17 December 1944 – 5 May 2024) was an English actor. He was known as a character actor of film, stage and television, having acted in nearly 130 projects. He is best known to British television viewers for playing Yosser Hughes in the groundbreaking 1982 TV series Boys from the Blackstuff. On film he has played Captain Edward John Smith in Titanic, King Théoden in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and the Warden of San Quentin Prison in the Clint Eastwood film True Crime. Hill is the only actor to have appeared in more than one of the three films awarded 11 Oscars, and one of only three actors to have starred in more than one film grossing more than $1 billion USD, namely: Titanic and The Return of the King (the others being Orlando Bloom who also starred in The Return of the King, as well as Pirates of the Caribbean and Johnny Depp who also starred in Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as Alice in Wonderland). Hill has appeared in three films which have won Best Picture: Gandhi, Titanic, and The Return of the King. Hill died on 5th May 2024 at the age of 79.