Titanic Belfast pays tribute to actor who starred as doomed ship's captain

Titanic Belfast has paid tribute to actor Bernard Hill, best known for his roles in Titanic and the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, following his death in the early hours of Sunday aged 79.

The actor played Captain Edward Smith in the Oscar-winning 1997 blockbuster Titanic, based on the doomed liner's sinking in April 1912, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

Hill also portrayed Theoden, King of Rohan, in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy directed by Sir Peter Jackson. He was well known too for roles in Boys From The Blackstuff and Wolf Hall.

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The actor paid a visit to Titanic Belfast last year alongside his Lord of the Rings co-stars Elijah Wood and Sean Austin, taking in one of Northern Ireland most famous tourist attractions.

In a social media post on Monday, Titanic Belfast said: "We are saddened to hear of the passing of TITANIC actor Bernard Hill.

"It was our pleasure to welcome Bernard, who played Captain Smith in the James Cameron film, to Titanic Belfast last year alongside his Lord of the Rings co-stars.

"We would like to extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends at this sad time."

Hill first made a name for himself as Yosser Hughes in Alan Bleasdale’s BBC drama series Boys From The Blackstuff, about five unemployed men, which aired in 1982.

The role earned him a Bafta TV nomination in 1983, the same year the show picked up the Bafta for best drama series.

In the 2015 BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s novel Wolf Hall, about the court of Henry VIII, Hill played the Duke of Norfolk, uncle to Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard.

He can currently be seen in the second series of BBC drama The Responder starring Martin Freeman, which began on Sunday night.

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