Sir Peter Jackson has paid tribute to Lord of the Rings actor Bernard Hill, remembering him as a “deeply loyal and loving friend”.
Hill, 79, passed away on Sunday morning, agent Lou Coulson said.
Hill played Théoden, King of Rohan, in two of Peter Jackson’s award-winning fantasy epics — introduced in 2002’s The Two Towers and The Return of the King the following year.
In a Facebook post, Jackson said it is “hard to imagine a world without Bernard Hill in it — to say he was full of life is an understatement”.
“He was one of the funniest and quickest-witted people we ever had the good fortune to work with.”
Jackson said Hill’s performance as Théoden is “beloved by millions” and “stands testament to his brilliance as an actor”.
“But we will remember him as a deeply loyal and loving friend.
“Our hearts go out to his partner Alison, and son Gabriel during this time … Farewell mighty warrior.
“On behalf of the entire cast and crew of The Lord of the Rings trilogy — we will miss you so very much.”
He ended the post with a passage from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Return of the King. It read: “Hope he rekindled, and in hope, ended; over death, over dread, over doom lifted out of loss, out of life, unto long glory.”
Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood also paid tribute to Hill in a post on X.
“So long to our friend, our king, Bernard Hill. We will never forget you,” he said.
“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.”
At Comic-Con, the actors who played the four hobbits in the films also paid tribute.
Sean Astin, who played Samwise Gamgee, said: “We love him. He was intrepid, he was funny, he was gruff, he was irascible, he was beautiful.”
Billy Boyd, who played Pippin, said: “We were watching the movies, and I said to Dom, I don’t think anyone spoke Tolkien’s words as great as Bernard did.
“He would break my heart. He will be sorely missed.”
Hill’s death came the same day the second series of the BBC drama The Responder was to air, where he played the father of the show’s star, Martin Freeman.
“Bernard Hill blazed a trail across the screen, and his long-lasting career filled with iconic and remarkable roles is a testament to his incredible talent,” said Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama.
“Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this sad time.”