Bernard Hill
Acting • Born 1944-12-17 – Died 2024-05-05
Biography
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.
Filmography
152 credits
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Movie • 2002
Théoden
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Movie • 2003
Théoden
The Boys & Girl from County Clare
Movie • 2003
John Joe
The Ghost and the Darkness
Movie • 1996
Dr. David Hawthorne
Joy Division
Movie • 2006
Dennis
The Heart of the Earth
Movie • 2007
Sr. Crown
The Bounty
Movie • 1984
William Cole
Gothika
Movie • 2003
Phil Parsons
Daft Mam Blues
Movie • 1977
Billy
Ocean Odyssey
Movie • 2006
Narrator (voice)
Wimbledon
Movie • 2004
Edward Colt
Franklyn
Movie • 2008
Esser
Going Off Big Time
Movie • 2000
Murray
Great Expectations
Movie • 1999
Abel Magwitch
The Scorpion King
Movie • 2002
Philos
Mountains of the Moon
Movie • 1990
Dr. Livingstone
Drowning by Numbers
Movie • 1988
Henry Madgett
The Kid
Movie • 2010
Uncle David
Restless Natives
Movie • 1985
Will's father
The Loss of Sexual Innocence
Movie • 1999
Susan's Father
Titus: The Gorilla King
Movie • 2008
Narrator
The Wind in the Willows
Movie • 1996
The Engine Driver
Shoot the Revolution
Movie • 1990
Octavian Barbu
Horizon: Einstein's Unfinished Symphony
Movie • 2005
Shirley Valentine
Movie • 1989
Joe Bradshaw
The Crumblegiant
Movie
Narrator
Exodus
Movie • 2007
Pharoah Mann
Segunda oportunidad
Movie • 2018
Peter
ParaNorman
Movie • 2012
Judge Hopkins (voice)
Trial by Combat
Movie • 1976
Blind Freddie
Save Angel Hope
Movie • 2007
Oscar Kurz
No Surrender
Movie • 1985
Bernard
The Criminal
Movie • 1999
Det. Insp. Walker
The Moor
Movie • 2024
Thornley
Bellman and True
Movie • 1987
Hiller
The Chain
Movie • 1984
Nick
Madagascar Skin
Movie • 1995
Flint
Canoe Man
Movie • 2010
John Darwin
Forever Young
Movie • 2024
Oscar Smith
Bloody Queens: Elizabeth and Mary
Movie • 2016
Narrator
Henry VI Part 1
Movie • 1983
Duke of York / Master Gunner Of Orleans
Henry VI Part 2
Movie • 1983
Duke of York
Henry VI Part 3
Movie • 1983
Duke of York
The Tragedy of Richard III
Movie • 1983
First Murderer
Shepherd on the Rock
Movie • 1993
Tam Ferrier
Titanic: Case Closed
Movie • 2012
The Spongers
Movie • 1978
Sullivan
A Very Social Secretary
Movie • 2005
David Blunkett
Outpost 11
Movie • 2012
Cranleigh
True Crime
Movie • 1999
Warden Luther Plunkitt
The Last Tommy
Movie • 2005
Narrator
Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron
Movie • 2012
Captain EJ Smith
JFK's Women: The Scandals Revealed
Movie • 2006
Self - Narrator (voice)
Say No to Strangers
Movie • 1981
Teresa's Dad
The Black Stuff
Movie • 1980
Yosser Hughes
Professional Foul
Movie • 1977
Broadbent
Dirtysomething
Movie • 1994
Larry
Titanic: Secrets Revealed
Movie • 1998
Host
From Moscow to Pietushki
Movie • 1990
Readings (voice)
Double X: The Name of the Game
Movie • 1992
Ignatius 'Iggy' Smith
North v South
Movie • 2015
John Claridge
Bombay Railway
Movie • 2008
Narrator
Gandhi
Movie • 1982
Sergeant Putnam
Olly's Prison
Movie • 1993
Mike
Speaking In Tongues
Movie • 1994
Joe
Pit Strike
Movie • 1977
Tom
The Sorrows
Movie • 2013
The Art of Tripping
Movie • 1993
First Knight
Movie • 1995
Knight (uncredited)
Squaring the Circle
Movie • 1984
Lech Walesa
A Question of Identity
Movie • 1992
Erwin van Haarlem
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Movie • 1999
Egeus
Golden Years
Movie • 2016
Arthur
The Law Lord
Movie • 1992
Martin Allport
Runners
Movie • 1983
Trevor Field
Fox
Movie • 1980
Vin Fox
Interlude: City of a Dead Woman
Movie • 2017
Richard
Valkyrie
Movie • 2008
General - Desert Sequence
Hard Labour
Movie • 1973
Edward Thornley
The Mill on the Floss
Movie • 1997
Edward Tulliver
It Could Happen to You
Movie • 1976
Syph
Eisenstein
Movie • 2000
The voice of Stalin
Boy Soldier
Movie • 1987
Officer
A Question of Faith
Movie • 2000
Frederick
No Go: The Free Derry Story
Movie • 2006
Narrator (voice)
Exodus
Movie • 2008
Narrator (voice)
Skallagrigg
Movie • 1994
John
Theban Plays: Antigone
Movie • 1986
Messenger
Cruel Sea: The Penlee Lifeboat Disaster
Movie • 2006
Narrator (voice)
Our Flesh and Blood
Movie • 1977
Bernard Blincoe
She Fell Among Thieves
Movie • 1978
Carson
Beatles Biggest Secrets
Movie • 2004
Narrator
Housewives' Choice
Movie • 1976
Eric
Soldiers Talking, Cleanly
Movie • 1978
Mick
A Turn for the Worse
Movie • 1981
Simon Simpson
The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse
Movie • 2005
King William III
The Burston Rebellion
Movie • 1985
Tom Higdon
Reflections on Titanic
Movie • 2012
Self
Inside CERN
Movie • 2016
Narrator
The Peddler
Movie • 1976
Graham
The Titanic Chronicles
Movie • 1999
(voice)
Titanic
Movie • 1997
Captain Smith
The Making of 'The Two Towers'
Movie • 2003
The Making of 'The Return of the King'
Movie • 2004
Self
Titanic: Southampton Remembers
Movie • 2012
John Lennon: A Journey in the Life
Movie • 1985
John Lennon
Heatwave
Movie • 2005
Narrator (voice)
On the Set of 'Gothika'
Movie • 2004
Self
Samson and Delilah
Movie • 1984
Willie
Boys from the Blackstuff
TV • 1982
Yosser Hughes
Five Days
TV • 2007
Gerard Hopkirk
Sunshine
TV • 2008
George Crosby
Fox
TV • 1980
Vin Fox
The Grid
TV • 2004
One Life
TV • 2003
Natural World
TV • 1983
Surviving Disaster
TV • 2006
Himself - Narrator
Bombay Railway
TV • 2007
Self - Narrator (voice)
Atheism: A Rough History of Disbelief
TV • 2004
Self
Wild China
TV • 2008
Himself - Narrator
From There to Here
TV • 2014
Samuel
Unforgotten
TV • 2015
Father Robert Greaves
HBO First Look
TV • 1992
Self
Village Hall
TV • 1974
Policeman
Once Upon A Time In The North
TV • 1994
Len Tollit
Indian Hill Railways
TV • 2010
Self - Narrator (voice)
Screen Two
TV • 1985
John
The Gambling Man
TV • 1995
Frank nickle
Surviving Disaster
TV • 2006
India's Frontier Railways
TV • 2015
Narrator - (Voice)
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales
TV • 1992
Bottom (voice)
Between the Lines
TV • 1992
Chief Constable Harmsworth
Play for Today
TV • 1970
Graham
Play for Today
TV • 1970
Edward
Play for Today
TV • 1970
Eric
Play for Today
TV • 1970
Bernard Blincoe
Play for Today
TV • 1970
Mick
Play for Today
TV • 1970
Sullivan
Play for Today
TV • 1970
Simon Simpson
Hope and Wire
TV • 2014
Len Russell
BBC2 Play of the Week
TV • 1977
Carson
The Responder
TV • 2022
Tom Carson
Lipstick on Your Collar
TV • 1993
Uncle Fred
Horizon
TV • 1964
Narrator
Wolf Hall
TV • 2015
Duke of Norfolk
Great Expectations
TV • 1999
Abel Magwitch
BBC2 Play of the Week
TV • 1977
Broadbent
Fairy Tales
TV • 2008
Grettongrat
I, Claudius
TV • 1976
Gratus
Screen Two
TV • 1985
Tom Higdon
Remembers…
TV • 2022
Screen Two
TV • 1985
Captain Larry