British actor Bernard Hill was best known for his roles in films including “Titanic,” “The Scorpion King,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” and “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.”

Sadly, Hill has died. His family members confirmed to Yahoo! Entertainment that Hill did on Sunday May 5, 2024. He was with his fiancee and son at the time of his death. He was 79 years old.

Hill had been scheduled to make an appearance at Comic Con Liverpool over the weekend, but he canceled and didn’t attend the event. In his memory, Comic Con Liverpool posted a picture of Hill on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “We’re heartbroken to hear the news of Bernard Hill’s passing. A great loss. Thinking of his family at this very sad time, and wishing them a lot of strength.”

Although Hill didn’t attend Comic Con Liverpool, several cast members from “The Lord of the Rings” did attend, and they mentioned him in their comments at the event. Actor Sean Astin, who played Sam in the film franchise, said on stage, “We lost a member of our family this morning. Bernard Hill passed.” The news was met with groans of sadness from the audience. Astin called Hill “intrepid” and “funny.”

Then Billy Boyd, who played Pippin, took the microphone, and said, “I don’t think anyone spoke Tolkien as well as great as Bernard” referencing the way Hill was able to interpret and bring to the life the words written by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, the author of the “Lord of the Rings” books that the movies were based on.

A video of the “hobbits” honoring Hill at the event was shared on X by the Fellowing of the Fans. In their post, they wrote, “The 4 Hobbits pay their respects to Bernard Hill at Liverpool Comic Con.”

During his career, Hill was honored with 2 BAFTA nominations. In his memory, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) also shared a memory of him on X. They wrote, “We’re saddened to hear of the passing of Bernard Hill. Known for his work in TV and film, Bernard starred in Titanic and The Lord of the Rings. He was nominated for two BAFTAs for A Very Social Secretary and his breakout performance in Boys From The Blackstuff, which won the Drama Series BAFTA in 1983.”

Watch the video below to learn more about Hill’s acting career and the sad news of his death.