Actor Bernard Hill of ‘Lord of the Rings’ has died at the age of 79

LONDON (AP) — Actor Bernard Hill, who gave a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” and going down with the ship as captain in “Titanic,” is deceased .

Hill, 79, died Sunday morning, Officer Lou Coulson said.

Hill joined “The Lord Of The Rings” franchise in the second film of the trilogy, 2002’s “The Two Towers,” as Théoden, King of Rohan. The following year he reprized the role in ‘Return of the King’, a film that won eleven Oscars.

In one of the film’s most memorable scenes, Hill’s character ignites his outmatched forces by issuing a battle cry from horseback that sends his troops downhill toward the enemy and his own impending death.

“Arise, arise, riders of Théoden!” Hill shouters. “Spears will be shaken, shields will be shattered! A sword day, a red day, before the sun rises! Drive now! Drive now! To ride! Ride to ruin and the end of the world! Dead! Dead! Dead!”

In “Titanic,” Hill played Captain Edward Smith, one of the few characters based on a real person in the tragic 1997 romance starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. The film also won eleven Academy Awards.

As the doomed ship takes on water, Hill’s character quietly retreats to the wheelhouse. As the cabin groans under the pressure of the waves, he takes a final breath and grips the steering wheel as water bursts through the windows.

Hill first made a name for himself as Yosser Hughes in “Boys From the Blackstuff,” a 1982 British TV miniseries about five unemployed men.

He was nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award for the role in 1983, and the show won the BAFTA for Best Drama Series.

His death came on the same day the second series of the BBC drama ‘The Responder’ was broadcast, in which he played the father of the show’s star, Martin Freeman.

“Bernard Hill blazed a trail across the screen, and his enduring career of iconic and remarkable roles is a testament to his incredible talent,” said Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama. “Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this sad time.”