Bernard Hill | |
---|---|
![]() Hill in 2007 | |
Born | Blackley, Manchester, England | 17 December 1944
Nationality | English |
Education | Xaverian College |
Alma mater | Manchester Polytechnic School of Drama |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1970–2016 |
Spouse | Marianne Hill |
Children | 1 |
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 honor 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 2022) that won 11 Oscar awards.
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]
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]
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), [4] starring Val Kilmer and (Michael Douglas). Hill then portrayed Captain Edward J. Smith in Titanic (1997), by James Cameron. [4]
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). [5]
Hill was the voice of The Judge in the American stop-motion animated comedy horror film ParaNorman in 2012. [6] 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 . [7]
He appeared as Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk in the 2015 six-part BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel's novels, Wolf Hall. [8] Later in 2015, he starred as John Claridge in the British gangster movie North v South . [4]
![]() | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2012) |
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.
In 2019, Hill received an honorary degree from the University of East Anglia. [9]
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 |
2015 | North v South | John Claridge | |
2016 | Golden Years | Arthur Goode |
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 [10] | 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 [11] | 3 | BBC | |
2015 | Unforgotten | Father Robert Greaves | 6 | ITV |
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 |
Year | Video game | Role |
---|---|---|
2010 | Fable III | Sir Walter Beck |
Dame Julia Mary Walters, known professionally as Julie Walters, is an English actress. She is the recipient of four British Academy Television Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, two International Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Laurence Olivier Award. Walters has been nominated for two Academy Awards—once for Best Actress and once for Best Supporting Actress—in both acting categories. She was honored with the BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement in 2014. She was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2017 for services to drama.
Nicolas Michael Angelis was an English actor. He was best known for his television roles as Chrissie Todd in Boys from the Blackstuff, Martin Niarchos in G.B.H. and as a UK narrator of the British children's series Thomas & Friends from 1991 to 2012, as well as several other products and media related to the franchise.
Alan George Bleasdale is an English screenwriter, best known for social realist drama serials based on the lives of ordinary people. A former teacher, he has written for radio, stage and screen, and has also written novels. Bleasdale's plays typically represented a more realistic, contemporary depiction of life in Liverpool than was usually seen in the media.
Boys from the Blackstuff is a British drama television series of five episodes, originally transmitted from 10 October to 7 November 1982 on BBC2.
Craig Kelly is an English actor and voice-over narrator. He is known for his roles as Vince Tyler in the Channel 4 television series Queer as Folk and as Luke Strong in Coronation Street.
Ronald Forfar was a British actor who appeared in many roles since the 1970s, including the role of Freddie Boswell in Carla Lane's comedy Bread.
Mark Anthony McGann is an English actor.
Tom Georgeson is an English actor, known for his television and film work. His most notable credits have been supporting parts in Between the Lines (1992–94) and in three dramas by Alan Bleasdale: Boys from the Blackstuff (1982), Scully (1984), and G.B.H. (1991). He appeared as the lawyer's clerk Clamb in the BBC One serial Bleak House (2005).
Bernard Frederic Bemrose Kay was an English actor with an extensive theatre, television, and film repertoire.
David Ross is an English actor who has worked in theatre, cinema and television. His best-known roles include playing the first Kryten and the second Talkie Toaster in science-fiction comedy Red Dwarf, Elgin Sparrowhawk in the BBC One sitcom The Green Green Grass, and as Mr. Sedley in a 1998 serial adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's novel Vanity Fair.
Warren Clarke was an English actor. He appeared in many films after a significant role as Dim in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. His television appearances included Dalziel and Pascoe, The Manageress and Sleepers.
Alan Igbon was a British actor, best known for his roles in television series such as The Professionals, Coronation Street and Boys from the Blackstuff.
Gary Bleasdale is an English actor born in Liverpool, Lancashire in 1962. Bleasdale has appeared in many television programmes since 1978 when his first role was playing the lead in an episode of the final series of Z-Cars. He played Kevin Dean in The Black Stuff (1978), and its sequel Boys From the Black Stuff, (1982). He was a regular on The Harry Enfield Show for ten years playing one of The Scousers. He has also appeared in Casualty, Roger Roger, The Bill and many other UK television dramas. He played the Sheriff's sergeant in the 2006 BBC adaptation of Robin Hood. Bleasdale played a brute in 'On The Ledge', at The Royal Court Liverpool in April/May 2008 and Terry in 'Lost Soul' at The Royal Court in September 2008. He also had a part as a bar patron in the Ouroboros episode of the BBC TV series Red Dwarf.
Benjamin Charles Miles is an English actor, best known for his starring role as Patrick Maitland in the television comedy Coupling, from 2000 to 2004, as Montague Dartie in The Forsyte Saga, from 2002 to 2003, as Peter Townsend in the Netflix drama The Crown (2016–2017) and George in episode 8 "The One That Holds Everything" in the TV drama The Romanoffs (2018).
David Ian Calder is an English actor.
Nathaniel Parker is an English stage and screen actor best known for playing the lead in the BBC crime drama series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, and Agravaine de Bois in the fourth series of Merlin.
Jimmy "Yosser" Hughes is a fictional character from Alan Bleasdale's 1982 television series Boys from the Blackstuff, set in Liverpool, portrayed by Bernard Hill.
Andrew Schofield is an English actor best known for starring as the Narrator in Willy Russell’s original production of the musical Blood Brothers in 1983.
Bernard John Holley was a British actor whose career spanned more than six decades.
Wolf Hall is a British television serial first broadcast on BBC Two in January 2015. The six-part series is an adaptation of two of Hilary Mantel's novels, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, a fictionalised biography documenting the rapid rise to power of Thomas Cromwell in the court of Henry VIII through to the death of Sir Thomas More, followed by Cromwell's success in freeing the king of his marriage to Anne Boleyn. Wolf Hall was first broadcast in April 2015 in the United States on PBS and in Australia on BBC First. It was reported in 2022 that a second series, covering the final novel in the trilogy, was in pre-production, with Mark Rylance and director Peter Kosminsky returning.