‘Lord of the Rings’ Cast Pay Tribute to Bernard Hill: No One Spoke Tolkien’s Words As Well

James Hibberd
·2-min read

Bernard Hill’s castmates from The Lord of the Rings gave several touching tributes to the actor, who died Sunday at the age of 79.

Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan and Sean Astin — who played the hobbits in Peter Jackson’s three blockbuster films — honored him at a Comic Con event in Liverpool.

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Hill played the stern and regal King Théoden, who helped lead the saga’s heroes to victory during the battle at Helm’s Deep in 2002’s The Two Towers, and then again at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields in 2003’s Return of the King.

“We just want to take a moment, before we walk off this stage, to honor him,” Astin told fans at the event. “He was supposed to be here today. We love him. He was intrepid, he was funny, he was gruff, he was irascible, he was beautiful.”

“We were watching the movies and talking about it,” Boyd said. “And I said [to the others], ‘I don’t think anyone spoke Tolkien’s words as great as Bernard did.’ The way he grounded those words in a realism. He would break my heart. He was a wonderful man and he’ll be sorely missed.”

Later, Wood posted on X: “We will never forget you,” and then added a Tolkien quote: “For he was a gentle heart and a great king and kept his oaths; and he rose out of the shadows to a last fair morning.”

Monaghan posted on Instagram: The Broken king has passed to the grey havens, but he will always be remembered.”

Hill was also well known to audiences as Captain Edward Smith in James Cameron’s 1997 hit Titanic. Hill died in the early hours of Sunday morning, a statement from his family said. No cause was given. His fiancée, Alison, and his son, Gabriel, were at his side.

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