'Titanic' actor Bernard Hill passes away at 79

Actor Bernard Hill, renowned for his stirring leadership as Théoden in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and his stellar portrayal as the captain in 'Titanic', has passed away at the age of 79, as confirmed by his agent, Lou Coulson, on Sunday morning. Hill made his memorable entry into 'The Lord Of The Rings' franchise in the second film of the trilogy, 2002's 'The Two Towers', embodying the role of Théoden, King of Rohan. The subsequent year, he reprised the character in 'The Return of the King', a cinematic masterpiece that garnered 11 Oscars.

In one of the film's most memorable scenes, Hill's character fires up his overmatched forces by delivering a battle cry on horseback that sends his troops thundering downhill toward the enemy and his own imminent death.
"Arise, arise, riders of Thoden! Hill hollers. Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered! A sword day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now! Ride now! Ride! Ride for ruin and the world's ending! Death! Death! Death!"

In Titanic, Hill played Captain Edward Smith, one of the only characters based on a real person in the 1997 tragic romance starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. The film also won 11 Academy Awards.

As the doomed ship takes on water, Hill's character silently retreats to the wheelhouse. As the cabin groans under the pressure of the waves, he takes a final breath and grabs the 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 mini-series about five unemployed men.

He was nominated for an award in 1983 from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for the role, and the show won the BAFTA for best drama series.
His death came the same day the second series of the BBC drama The Responder was to air, in which he played the father of the show's star, Martin Freeman.
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, said Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this sad time.
(With PTI inputs)