Bernard Hill
Hill in 2007
Born (1944-12-17) 17 December 1944
Blackley, Manchester, England
NationalityEnglish
EducationXaverian College
Alma materManchester Polytechnic School of Drama
OccupationActor
Years active1970–present
SpouseMarianne Hill
Children1

Bernard Hill (born 17 December 1944) is an English actor. He is known for playing Théoden, King of Rohan, in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Captain Edward Smith in Titanic, and Luther Plunkitt, the Warden of San Quentin Prison in the Clint Eastwood film True Crime. Hill was also known for playing roles in television dramas, including Yosser Hughes, the troubled "hard man" whose life is falling apart in Alan Bleasdale's Boys from the Blackstuff in the 1980s, and more recently, as the Duke of Norfolk in the BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall.

Hill has the distinction of being the only actor to have appeared in more than one film that won 11 Academy Awards, for his roles in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and Titanic; he did not appear in Ben-Hur, the only other film in history (as of 2023) that won 11 Oscar awards.

Early life

Hill was born in Blackley, Manchester. He was brought up in a Catholic family of miners.[1] Hill attended Xaverian College, and then Manchester Polytechnic School of Drama at the same time as Richard Griffiths. He graduated with a diploma in theatre in 1970.[2]

Career

In 1976, Hill was seen as Police Constable Cluff in the Granada Television series Crown Court, the episode entitled "The Jolly Swagmen".

Hill first came to prominence as Yosser Hughes, a working-class Liverpudlian man ultimately driven to the edge by an uncaring welfare system, in Alan Bleasdale's BBC Play for Today programme, The Black Stuff, and its series sequel, Boys from the Blackstuff.[2] His character's much-repeated phrase Gizza job ("Give us a job")[2] became popular with protesters against Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government, because of the high unemployment of the time.[3]

Hill then appeared as Sergeant Putnam in Gandhi (1982), directed by Richard Attenborough. Next for him was Roger Donaldson’s The Bounty (1984), a fourth dramatisation of the mutiny on HMS Bounty.[4] He had previously taken smaller parts in a number of British television dramas, appearing in I, Claudius in 1976 as the character Gratus.[4]

Hill at a Lord of the Rings convention in Bonn, Germany, October 2004

In 1985, he played the lead role in a TV dramatisation of John Lennon's life, A Journey in the Life. In addition to TV roles, Hill appeared on stage in The Cherry Orchard,[4] and the title roles in Macbeth and A View from the Bridge.[4]

Hill appeared as Joe Bradshaw in Shirley Valentine (1989),[4] about a Liverpool housewife (Pauline Collins) who was a former anti-establishment rebel and engages in an extramarital affair. Hill added more prominent films to his resume, including Mountains of the Moon (1990),[4] Skallagrigg (1994) and Madagascar Skin (1995).[4]

In the mid-1990s, Hill began appearing in films more regularly. His first major role came in The Ghost and the Darkness (1996),[5] starring Val Kilmer and (Michael Douglas). Hill then portrayed Captain Edward J. Smith in Titanic (1997), by James Cameron.[6]

Hill played Philos in The Scorpion King (2002), starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Michael Clarke Duncan and Kelly Hu.[4]

He held a minor role in the 2008 film Valkyrie, as the commanding general of the 10th Panzer Division of the German Afrika Korps and as a voice actor for Sir Walter Beck in Fable III (2010).[7]

Hill was the voice of The Judge in the American stop-motion animated comedy horror film ParaNorman in 2012.[8] He played Samuel Cotton, who ran a sweet factory with his son in the 2014 three-part BBC drama series about Manchester From There To Here.[9]

He appeared as Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk in the 2015 six-part BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel's novels, Wolf Hall.[10] Later in 2015, he starred as John Claridge in the British gangster movie North v South.[11]

Personal life

Hill is married to Marianne, with whom he has a son named Gabriel. He lives in Suffolk.[2]

Hill is a longtime supporter of Manchester United FC.[12]

In 2019, Hill received an honorary degree from the University of East Anglia.[13]

Filmography

Films

Year Film Role Notes
1975 It Could Happen to You Syph Film also known as Intimate Teenage Secrets
1976 Trial by Combat Blind Freddie Film also known as Dirty Knights Work
1978 The Sailor's Return Carter
The Spongers Sullivan
1982 Gandhi Sergeant Putnam
1983 Squaring the Circle Narrator Documentary
Runners Trevor Field
1984 The Bounty Cole
1985 Restless Natives Will's father
The Chain Nick
Samson and Delilah Willie Naknervis
1986 Milwr Bychan Officer Film also known as Boy Soldier
New World John Billington
No Surrender Bernard
1987 Bellman and True Hiller
1988 Drowning by Numbers Henry Madgett
1989 Shirley Valentine Joe Bradshaw
1990 Mountains of the Moon David Livingston
1991 The Law Lord Martin Allport
1992 The Name of the Game Ignatius "Iggy" Smith Film also known as Run Rabbit Run and Double X
1993 Shepherd on the Rock Tam Ferrier
1994 Skallagrigg John
Drug Taking and the Arts Presenter and narrator Documentary
1995 Madagascar Skin Flint
1996 The Ghost and the Darkness David Hawthorne
1997 The Wind in the Willows Engine driver Film also known as Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
Titanic Captain Edward J. Smith Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
One of two films in which Hill stars that have won 11 Oscars.
The Mill on the Floss Edwards Tulliver
1999 The Titanic Chronicles Captain S. Lord
The Criminal Walker
True Crime Lunther Plunkitt
A Midsummer Night's Dream Egeus Film also known as Sogno di una notte di mezza estate
The Loss of Sexual Innocence Susan's father
2000 Blessed Art Thou Frederick
Einstein Voice of Stalin Film also known as The Furnace
Going Off Big Time Murray
2002 The Scorpion King Philos
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers King Théoden Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
Nominated – DVD Exclusive Awards for Best Audio Commentary
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2003 The Boys from County Clare John Joe
Gothika Phil Parsons
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King King Théoden Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
National Board of Review Award for Best Cast
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Nominated – Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
The second film in which Hill starred that won 11 Oscars.
2004 Wimbledon Edward Colt
The Deal Victor Short film
2005 The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse King William
2006 Joy Division Dennis
Save Angel Hope Oscar Kurz
2007 Exodus N/A Film made for television. Broadcast on Channel 4
2008 Valkyrie Unnamed German General in the desert
Franklyn Peter
2011 The Wraith The Narrator Short Film
2012 ParaNorman The Judge Voice only
2015 North v South John Claridge
2016 Golden Years Arthur Goode
Interlude City Richard
2018 Second Chance Peter
2023 Forever Now Oscar Smith

Television

Year Programme Role Episodes Broadcasting Network Notes
1973 Hard Labour Edward Thornley N/A BBC
1976 I, Claudius Gratus 2 BBC
1978 Pickersgill People N/A 1 BBC
1979 Telford's Change Jack Burton 1 BBC
The Black Stuff Yosser Hughes 1 BBC
1980 Fox Vin Fox 11 ITV
1982 Boys from the Black Stuff Yosser Hughes 5 BBC Broadcasting Press Guild Awards for Best Actor
Nominated – BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor
1983 Henry VI, Part 1 Duke of York 1 BBC Part of the BBC Television Shakespeare series
Henry VI, Part 2 Duke of York 1 BBC Part of the BBC Television Shakespeare series
Henry VI, Part 3 Duke of York 1 BBC Part of the BBC Television Shakespeare series
Richard III First Murderer 1 BBC Part of the BBC Television Shakespeare series
1984 Antigone Messenger 1 BBC
1985 The Burston Rebellion Tom Higdon 1 BBC
1985 John Lennon: A Journey in the Life John Lennon 1 BBC
1993 Olly's Prison Mike 1 BBC
1993 Telltale Det. Sgt. Gavin Douglas 3 ITV
1993 Lipstick on Your Collar Uncle Fred Channel 4
1994 Once Upon a Time in the North Len Tollit N/A BBC
1995 The Gambling Man Frank Nickle all Tyne Tees TV
1999 Great Expectations Abel Magwitch 2 BBC
1999 The Titanic Chronicles Captain Stanley Lord N/A
2001 Horizon Narrator 9 BBC
2002 Timewatch Narrator 1 BBC
2004 Atheism: A Rough History of Disbelief Himself 1 BBC
2005 A Very Social Secretary David Blunkett 1 Channel 4 Nominated – BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor
Nominated – International Emmy Award for Best Performance by an Actor
2006 Ocean Odyssey Narrator 2 Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated
2007 Egomania Narrator 1 Channel 4
2007 Bombay Railway Narrator 2 BBC Series
2008 Sunshine Granddad Crosby 3 BBC
2008 Wild China Narrator 6 BBC A BBC/CTV/Travel Channel co-production in association with Canal+
2009 Folk America Narrator 3 BBC
2009 Ice Patrol Narrator 4 National Geographic
2010 Old Trafford 100 Years Narrator and Presenter 1 MUTV
2010 Five Days Gerard Hopkirk 5 BBC
2010 Indian Hill Railways Narrator[14] 3 BBC
2010 Canoe Man John Darwin 1 BBC
2012 Falcón Ramón Salgado 2 Sky Episode "The Blind Man of Seville"
2014 From There to Here Samuel Cotton 3 BBC
2014 Hope And Wire Len Russell 3 TV3 New Zealand mini-series
2015 Wolf Hall Duke of Norfolk 6 BBC
2015 India's Frontier Railways Narrator[15] 3 BBC
2015 Unforgotten Father Robert Greaves 6 ITV

Theatre

Year Play Role Theatre
1974 John, Paul, George, Ringo ... and Bert John Lennon Everyman Theatre, Liverpool
1978 Twelfth Night Toby Belch Young Vic, London
1983 Short List Howard Hampstead Theatre, London
1984 The Plough and the Stars Fluther Good Royal Exchange, Manchester
1986 Macbeth Macbeth Haymarket Theatre, Leicester
1989 The Cherry Orchard Lopakhin Aldwych Theatre, London
1990 Gasping Sir Chiffley Lockheart Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London
1995 A View from the Bridge Eddie Carbone Strand Theatre, London

Video games

Year Video game Role
2010 Fable III Sir Walter Beck

References and notes

  1. ↑ "The OxStu talks Titanic, Daniel Day-Lewis and more with film star Bernard Hill". The Oxford Student. 7 June 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Manchester Films – Bernard Hill – a biography". BBC. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  3. ↑ "Out of work – and this time it won't just be Yosser who will feel the pain | News". Thisislondon.co.uk. 17 December 2008. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Bernard Hill credits". tvguide.com. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  5. ↑ Klady, Leonard (7 October 1996). "The Ghost and the Darkness". Variety. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  6. ↑ "Bernard Hill visits Titanic's street of death". BBC. 13 April 2012. Archived from the original on 16 April 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  7. ↑ "Behind The Voice Actors – Bernard Hill". Behind The Voice Actors.
  8. ↑ "ParaNorman (2012)". behindthevoiceactors.com. 17 August 2012.
  9. ↑ "Stellar cast assemble for Peter Bowker's new BBC One drama, From There To Here". BBC Media Centre. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  10. ↑ "Wolf Hall - Who are the royal subjects? The Duke of Norfolk (Bernard Hill)". BBC. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  11. ↑ McCahill, Mike (15 October 2015). "North v South review – Romeo and Juliet caught up in gang war". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  12. ↑ Grimsditch, Lee (22 December 2022). "The Blackley-born actor with a famous catchphrase who made Hollywood history". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  13. ↑ "A Titanic actor, climate change trailblazer and banking boss: Meet UEA's newest honorary graduates". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  14. ↑ Unit, Commercial Development. "Indian Hill Railway". ABC Shop. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  15. ↑ "BBC Four - India's Frontier Railways". BBC. 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
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