Summary
- Bernard Hill's impressive career spanned 50 years, with standout performances in iconic films like Titanic and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
- Hill's portrayal of historical figures like Captain Edward John Smith in Titanic and Magwitch in Great Expectations showcased his versatility.
- From playing Yosser Hughes in Boys from the Blackstuff to Théoden in The Lord of the Rings, Hill left a lasting impact on cinema and television.
With a career that lasted more than 50 years, Bernard Hill was an accomplished English actor who left an impressive mark on the world of movies and television. Sadly, Hill passed away in 2024 at 79, but his body of work across film and television amounted to an impressive legacy full of powerful and nuanced performances in various genres and styles. With an intense commitment to every role he played, Hill made a name for himself in the 1980s and continued taking on acclaimed roles until his final years.
Hill’s earliest roles included working-class British icon Yosser Hughes on the legendary Boys from the Blackstuff television series. In the world of movies, Hill was known for supporting roles in some of the most successful films of all time, including Titanic and Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Looking back on his impressive career, it’s incredible how many great movies and television shows Hill was a part of over the years.
10 A Very Social Secretary (2005)
Bernard Hill as David Blunkett
Hill’s performance was inspired as he effectively mimicked Blunkett’s mannerisms and characteristics throughout A Very Social Secretary.
One of Bernard Hill’s most memorable television roles was in the 2005 made-for-TV movie A Very Social Secretary, a satirical look at the public scandal involving the former British Home Secretary David Blunkett. Hill hilariously portrayed Blunkett as the fallout from his affair with an American journalist became public. For those who had followed the controversy, Hill’s performance was inspired as he effectively mimicked Blunkett’s mannerisms and characteristics throughout A Very Social Secretary.
With razor-sharp wit and a cutting satirical edge, watching as Hill expertly portrayed a Labour politician in bed with the right press, and not in a metaphorical way, was a laugh-out-loud lampooning of current events. Other highlights included Robert Lindsay as Tony Blair and Stuart McQuarrie as Boris Johnson, long before he became the British prime minister. A clever piece of political commentary, A Very Social Secretary came out the same year as the first series of the BBC sitcom The Thick Of It, which proved what a great time 2005 was for hilarious political satire.
9 The Bounty (1984)
Bernard Hill as William Cole
The Bounty was an epic British swashbuckler adventure that featured Bernard Hill in the supporting role of Wiliam Cole. As the story of a ship crew who were fed up with their captain’s rigid discipline and decided to rise against him and take action, Hill was surrounded by a star-studded cast that included Anthony Hopkins, Mel Gibson, Laurence Olivier, and Daniel Day-Lewis. The Bounty told the true tale of a mutiny against Royal Navy Lieutenant William Bligh and was notable for its realism and historical accuracy.
Hill more than held his own among the impressive roster of talented actors in The Bounty, as Mr. Cole stood as one of the most memorable members of the ship’s crew. A high-spirited and intelligent adventure, The Bounty was just one of many adaptations of the mutiny on the HMS Bounty in 1789. Previously notable adaptations featured other significant stars like Clark Gable and Marlon Brando.