Titanic and Lord of the Rings actor Bernard Hill. Photo: Courtesy of Sina News

The famous British actor Bernard Hill passed away in the early morning of May 5 at the age of 79. He played and created the classic role of "King Théoden" in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He also played an impressive role as the captain in Titanic.

Bernard officially entered the entertainment industry in 1975 and has been working in films for nearly half a century. His roles in Titanic and The Lord of the Rings make him the only actor in film history to have played major roles in two films that won 11 Oscars and grossed more than $1 billion at the box office.

Actors Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, and Sean Astin, who played hobbits Frodo Baggins, Peregrin "Pippin" Took, Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck, and Samwise Gamgee respectively, honored him on stage at a Comic Con event in Liverpool. "We love him. He was intrepid, he was funny, he was gruff, he was irascible, he was beautiful," Astin said. 

Elijah Wood wrote on his social media: "So long to our friend, our king, Bernard Hill. We will never forget you. '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.'"

Bernard also had considerable influence and enjoyed a popularity in China. Many Chinese netizens took to social media to express their condolences and respect for him, as well as to share the fond memories that his work evoked in them.

@FatDumpling-8SecondSauce, a netizen on Weibo commented: he was so good as the king, that's what a king looks like in my mind. The monologue on the eve of the war was like poetry.

@Jiang Hanya, another netizen said: He has left us... I mean his acting career spanned nearly half a century, portraying countless classic roles and touching numerous audiences. I hope he rests in peace in heaven and that his work will forever be engraved in our hearts and leave an everlasting mark on the film industry.        

Global Times