The British actor was about to make his return to television in the second season of ‘The Responder’, a BBC drama series starring Martin Freeman, which goes on air this Sunday

Actor Bernard Hill passed away early on Sunday 5 May at the age of 79. The sad news was announced by the BBC and confirmed by his agent, Lou Coulson.

He was best known for his landmark roles in films such as Titanic, where he played Captain Edward Smith in James Cameron’s Oscar-winning 1997 film, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, where he played the King of Rohan, Theoden, in the films released in the early 2000s. His talent was also showcased in a number of supporting roles, notably in Rob Rafelson’s At the Source of the Nile in 1990 and Clint Eastwood’s Guilty in 1999.

Born in Manchester in 1944, Bernard Hill has enjoyed a varied career, moving from theatre to television and the silver screen. He first came to prominence in the early 1980s for his portrayal of Yosser Hughes, an unemployed character, in the hit BBC television series Boys from the Blackstuff.

The series won the Bafta for Best Drama Series in 1983 and was ranked seventh in the British Film Institute’s list of the best television programmes ever made in 2000.

Bernard Hill has also enjoyed a prolific career in British television. His return was expected this weekend with the UK broadcast of the new season of the crime series The Responder.