Acting · Blackley, Manchester, England, UK · Born December 17, 1944
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.
MovieThe Moor
2024
as Thornley
MovieForever Young
2024
as Oscar Smith
TVRemembers…
2022
TVThe Responder
2022
as Tom Carson
MovieSegunda oportunidad
2018
as Peter
MovieInterlude: City of a Dead Woman
2017
as Richard
MovieInside CERN
2016
as Narrator
MovieGolden Years
2016
as Arthur
MovieBloody Queens: Elizabeth and Mary
2016
as Narrator
MovieNorth v South
2015
as John Claridge
TVUnforgotten
2015
as Father Robert Greaves
TVIndia's Frontier Railways
2015
as Narrator - (Voice)
TVWolf Hall
2015
as Duke of Norfolk
TVHope and Wire
2014
as Len Russell
TVFrom There to Here
2014
as Samuel
MovieThe Sorrows
2013
MovieReflections on Titanic
2012
as Self
MovieOutpost 11
2012
as Cranleigh
MovieParaNorman
2012
as Judge Hopkins (voice)
MovieTitanic: Southampton Remembers
2012
MovieTitanic: The Final Word with James Cameron
2012
as Captain EJ Smith
MovieTitanic: Case Closed
2012
MovieThe Kid
2010
as Uncle David
MovieCanoe Man
2010
as John Darwin
TVIndian Hill Railways
2010
as Self - Narrator (voice)
MovieValkyrie
2008
as General - Desert Sequence
MovieFranklyn
2008
as Esser
TVSunshine
2008
as George Crosby
TVWild China
2008
as Himself - Narrator
TVFairy Tales
2008
as Grettongrat
Exodus
2008
as Narrator (voice)
MovieTitus: The Gorilla King
2008
as Narrator
MovieBombay Railway
2008
as Narrator
MovieSave Angel Hope
2007
as Oscar Kurz
MovieExodus
2007
as Pharoah Mann
TVBombay Railway
2007
as Self - Narrator (voice)
The Crumblegiant
2007
as Narrator
MovieThe Heart of the Earth
2007
as Sr. Crown
TVFive Days
2007
as Gerard Hopkirk
MovieJFK's Women: The Scandals Revealed
2006
as Self - Narrator (voice)
MovieJoy Division
2006
as Dennis
MovieNo Go: The Free Derry Story
2006
as Narrator (voice)
MovieCruel Sea: The Penlee Lifeboat Disaster
2006
as Narrator (voice)
MovieOcean Odyssey
2006
as Narrator (voice)
MovieTim Haines Deep Ocean
2006
as Erzähler
TVSurviving Disaster
2006
as Himself - Narrator
The Last Tommy
2005
as Narrator
MovieA Very Social Secretary
2005
as David Blunkett
MovieThe League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse
2005
as King William III
MovieHeatwave
2005
as Narrator (voice)
Horizon: Einstein's Unfinished Symphony
2005
MovieBeatles Biggest Secrets
2004
as Narrator
TVAtheism: A Rough History of Disbelief
2004
as Self
MovieWimbledon
2004
as Edward Colt
TVThe Grid
2004
MovieThe Making of 'The Return of the King'
2004
as Self
MovieOn the Set of 'Gothika'
2004
as Self
MovieThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2003
as Théoden
MovieGothika
2003
as Phil Parsons
One Life
2003
MovieThe Boys & Girl from County Clare
2003
as John Joe
MovieThe Making of 'The Two Towers'
2003
MovieThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2002
as Théoden
MovieThe Scorpion King
2002
as Philos
MovieGoing Off Big Time
2000
as Murray
MovieEisenstein
2000
as The voice of Stalin
MovieScenes by the Sea: Takeshi Kitano
2000
as Narrator (voice)
MovieA Question of Faith
2000
as Frederick
MovieThe Criminal
1999
as Det. Insp. Walker
MovieA Midsummer Night's Dream
1999
as Egeus
MovieThe Loss of Sexual Innocence
1999
as Susan's Father
MovieGreat Expectations
1999
as Abel Magwitch
TVGreat Expectations
1999
as Abel Magwitch
MovieTrue Crime
1999
as Warden Luther Plunkitt
MovieThe Titanic Chronicles
1999
as (voice)
Titanic: Secrets Revealed
1998
as Host
MovieTitanic
1997
as Captain Smith
MovieThe Mill on the Floss
1997
as Edward Tulliver
MovieThe Wind in the Willows
1996
as The Engine Driver
MovieThe Ghost and the Darkness
1996
as Dr. David Hawthorne
MovieFirst Knight
1995
as Knight (uncredited)
TVThe Gambling Man
1995
as Frank nickle
MovieMadagascar Skin
1995
as Flint
MovieSpeaking In Tongues
1994
as Joe
Once Upon A Time In The North
1994
as Len Tollit
MovieDirtysomething
1994
as Larry
MovieSkallagrigg
1994
as John
Olly's Prison
1993
as Mike
MovieThe Art of Tripping
1993
TVLipstick on Your Collar
1993
as Uncle Fred
MovieShepherd on the Rock
1993
as Tam Ferrier
MovieA Question of Identity
1992
as Erwin van Haarlem
TVShakespeare: The Animated Tales
1992
as Bottom (voice)
TVBetween the Lines
1992
as Chief Constable Harmsworth
TVHBO First Look
1992
as Self
MovieDouble X: The Name of the Game
1992
as Ignatius 'Iggy' Smith
MovieA Midsummer Night's Dream
1992
as Bottom (voice)
MovieThe Law Lord
1992
as Martin Allport
TVShrinks
1991
as Frank Beasley
MovieShoot the Revolution
1990
as Octavian Barbu
MovieFrom Moscow to Pietushki
1990
as Readings (voice)
MovieMountains of the Moon
1990
as Dr. Livingstone
MovieShirley Valentine
1989
as Joe Bradshaw
MovieDrowning by Numbers
1988
as Henry Madgett
MovieBellman and True
1987
as Hiller
MovieBoy Soldier
1987
as Officer
MovieTheban Plays: Antigone
1986
as Messenger
TVScreenPlay
1986
as Octavian Barbu
MovieJohn Lennon: A Journey in the Life
1985
as John Lennon
MovieNo Surrender
1985
as Bernard
MovieRestless Natives
1985
as Will's father
MovieThe Burston Rebellion
1985
as Tom Higdon
TVScreen Two
1985
as John
MovieThe Chain
1984
as Nick
MovieSquaring the Circle
1984
as Lech Walesa
MovieThe Bounty
1984
as William Cole
Samson and Delilah
1984
as Willie
TVNatural World
1983
MovieRunners
1983
as Trevor Field
MovieThe Tragedy of Richard III
1983
as First Murderer
MovieHenry VI Part 3
1983
as Duke of York
MovieHenry VI Part 2
1983
as Duke of York
MovieHenry VI Part 1
1983
as Duke of York / Master Gunner Of Orleans
MovieGandhi
1982
as Sergeant Putnam
TVBoys from the Blackstuff
1982
as Yosser Hughes
MovieA Turn for the Worse
1981
as Simon Simpson
Say No to Strangers
1981
as Teresa's Dad
Fox
1980
as Vin Fox
TVFox
1980
as Vin Fox
MovieThe Black Stuff
1980
as Yosser Hughes
MovieSoldiers Talking, Cleanly
1978
as Mick
Pickersgill People
1978
as Harry 'Sharky' Finn
MovieShe Fell Among Thieves
1978
as Carson
MovieThe Spongers
1978
as Sullivan
MoviePit Strike
1977
as Tom
Premiere
1977
as Tom
MovieProfessional Foul
1977
as Broadbent
TVBBC2 Play of the Week
1977
as Carson
MovieDaft Mam Blues
1977
as Billy
Childhood
1977
as Janey's father
MovieOur Flesh and Blood
1977
as Bernard Blincoe
MovieIt Could Happen to You
1976
as Syph
MovieHousewives' Choice
1976
as Eric
TVI, Claudius
1976
as Gratus
MovieTrial by Combat
1976
as Blind Freddie
MovieThe Peddler
1976
as Graham
TVVillage Hall
1974
as Policeman
Second City Firsts
1973
as Billy
MovieHard Labour
1973
as Edward Thornley
TVPlay for Today
1970
as Edward
TVHorizon
1964
as Narrator
