Bernard Hill
Bernard Hill (born 17 December 1944) is an English actor. He is well recognized 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.
Bernard Hill | |
|---|---|
Hill in 2007 | |
| Born | 17 December 1944 Blackley, Manchester, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Education | Xaverian College |
| Alma mater | Manchester Polytechnic School of Drama |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1975–2016 |
| Spouse | Marianne Hill |
| Children | 1 |
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"
Boys from the Blackstuff
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]
Later roles
Hill then appeared as Sergeant Putnam in Gandhi (1982), directed by Richard Attenborough. Though Hill did not figure prominently in the cast, he benefited from being part of an Oscar-winning film. Next for him was Roger Donaldson’s The Bounty (1984), a fourth dramatisation of the mutiny on HMS Bounty.
He had previously taken smaller parts in a number of British television dramas, appearing in the acclaimed I, Claudius in 1976 as Gratus, the no-nonsense soldier of Caligula's bodyguard who drew Claudius from his hiding-place in the palace, and presented him as the proper heir to the empire, and also as Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York in the BBC Television Shakespeare 1982 productions of Shakespeare's Henry VI plays.
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, and the title roles in Macbeth and A View from the Bridge.
Hill then received critical acclaim for his performance as Joe Bradshaw in Shirley Valentine (1989), 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), Skallagrigg (1994) and Madagascar Skin (1995).
In the mid-1990s, Hill began appearing in films more regularly. His first major role came in The Ghost and the Darkness (1996), starring Val Kilmer as a bridge-building engineer who must trust a big game hunter (Michael Douglas) despite their mutual animosity; Hill portrayed the role of David Hawthorne. Hill then went down with the ship when he played Captain Edward J. Smith in Titanic (1997), by James Cameron, with whom Hill got along quite well — an experience not shared by most working on the film. Being in the then biggest grossing film of all time attracted attention to his career, as Hill became more sought-after for more prominent parts.
Hill played Philos in The Scorpion King (2002), starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Michael Clarke Duncan and Kelly Hu.
Hill became known to a worldwide audience when he was cast in the role of Théoden, King of Rohan, in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy based on Tolkien's novel of the same name. Before casting him as Théoden, the director Peter Jackson considered Hill for the part of the wizard Gandalf.[4] At the end of production, Jackson gave Hill two gifts, Théoden's helmet and his sword, Herugrim.
At the 2006 BAFTA TV Awards and International Emmy Award, Hill was nominated for his portrayal of David Blunkett in the one-off satirical drama, A Very Social Secretary.
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).[5]
He plays Samuel Cotton, who runs a sweet factory with his son in the 2014 three-part BBC drama series about Manchester From There To Here.[6]
Hill appears as Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk in the 2015 six-part BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel's novels, Wolf Hall.[7]
Personal life
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2012) |
He is married to Marianne, with whom he has a son named Gabriel. He lives in Suffolk.[2] He is a longtime supporter of Manchester United FC. In 2019, he received an honorary degree from the University of East Anglia.[8]
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 | |
| 1978 | 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 | |
| 2008 | Franklyn | Peter | |
| 2011 | The Wraith | The Narrator | Short Film |
| 2012 | ParaNorman | The Judge | Voice only |
| 2016 | Golden Years | Arthur Goode |
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 | ||
| 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[9] | 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[10] | 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
- ^ "The OxStu talks Titanic, Daniel Day-Lewis and more with film star Bernard Hill". The Oxford Student.
- ^ a b c d "Manchester Films – Bernard Hill – a biography". BBC. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Nathan, Ian (2018). Anything You Can Imagine: Peter Jackson and the Making of Middle Earth. HarperCollins. pp. 303–309. ISBN 978-0008192501.
- ^ "Behind The Voice Actors – Bernard Hill". Behind The Voice Actors.
- ^ "Stellar cast assemble for Peter Bowker's new BBC One drama, From There To Here". BBC Media Centre. BBC. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
- ^ "Norfolk". BBC. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
- ^ "A Titanic actor, climate change trailblazer and banking boss: Meet UEA's newest honorary graduates". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ Unit, Commercial Development. "Indian Hill Railway". ABC Shop. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
- ^ "BBC Four - India's Frontier Railways". BBC. 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
External links
- Bernard Hill at IMDb
- Bernard Hill at the BFI's Screenonline
- at the TCM Movie Database
- Bernard Hill at AllMovie
- Interview with BBC Suffolk