Like many of my friends and Tolkien fans, I have watched "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy more times than I can count: both the theatrical and extended versions, along with all the cast and director commentaries. The book and the movies hold a special place in my heart because it is something I shared with my late sister June and her daughter.
Out of all the magnificent characters, King Théoden of Rohan was our favorite, and actor Bernard Hill immortalized this rich and beloved fictional king like no other.
Hill reflected the humanity, along with the grandeur of one who rules authority, yet compassion and heart. Hill's weighty performance embodied the weariness of constant battle, wrapped in the pain of failure, coupled with the rallying of courage and leadership for the last battle, and the nobility of Théoden's honorable end.
But it is the father heart of King Théoden, not only in grieving over his only son Théodred, but his love and strength of belief for his niece Éowyn. Their relationship touches my heart with each viewing, and endeared Hill's performance to many for a generation, and generations to come.
Théoden:
I know your face... Éowyn. My eyes darken.
Éowyn:
No, no. I'm going to save you.
Théoden:
You already did... Éowyn. My body is broken. You have to let me go. I go to my fathers, in whose mighty company I shall not now feel ashamed.
Like King Théoden of old, Bernard Hill has gone to his fathers. According to his agent, he passed away early Sunday morning with his fiancée and son by his side. Hill was 79-years-old.
Hill was born born on Dec. 17, 1944, in Blackley, Manchester, into a family of Catholic coal miners. Hill went to school first at Xaverian College, then attended Manchester Polytechnic School of Drama where he graduated in 1970 with a diploma in theater. Hill parlayed his diploma into an almost five-decades long career that included work with premiere directors Richard Attenborough ("Ghandi"), James Cameron ("Titantic"), Peter Jackson ("The Lord of the Rings"), ,and Clint Eastwood ("True Crime").
Few actors can say they have had meaty roles in films that have won 11 Academy Awards a piece.
His breakout role came in 1982 BBC drama Boys from the Blackstuff, in which he played Yosser Hughes. His filmography includes Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi (1982), the Scorpion King (2002) and Valkyrie (2008), starring Tom Cruise.
His most famous roles, however, were as the real-life Captain Edward Smith in Titanic and as Théoden, King of Rohan, in the last two Lord of the Rings films. His Lord of the Rings castmates paid tribute to him, both at Liverpool Comic Con and online.
Hill's final screen performance is in “The Responder,” a police drama on BBC One. Hill stars opposite Martin Freeman, another Peter Jackson alum. Freeman portrayed Bilbo Baggins in Jackson's "The Hobbit" trilogy.