Hail, Théoden King!
RIP Bernard Hill
Yesterday news broke that Bernard Hill, known for roles including King Théoden in The Lord of the Rings and Captain Edward Smith in Titanic, passed away at the age of 79.
Hill was, to my knowledge, the only actor to star in two movies that each won 11 Oscars.
According to BBC News, his hobbit costars shared their memories of him over the weekend:
Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd, the actors who played the hobbits Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, paid tribute to their co-star at Comic Con in Liverpool.
Astin began by saying: "We love him. He was intrepid, he was funny, he was gruff, he was irascible, he was beautiful."
Boyd recounted watching the trilogy with Monaghan, saying: "I don't think anyone spoke Tolkien's words as great as Bernard did. He would break my heart. He will be solely missed."
Elijah Wood shared the following on Twitter yesterday:
On Facebook, director Peter Jackson shared the following reflection:
Hill’s performance as Théoden was a nuanced one, ranging from a regal calm and firm determination to fatherly grief over the untimely loss of his son Théodred, from tender affection for the hobbit Merry to flaring anger with Aragorn at Gondor’s absence when the Westfold fell.
But perhaps the most memorable notes of his performance as Théoden are his stirring battle-cries, inspiring the Rohirrim for one final charge when all hope seemed lost at Helm’s Deep or for a last glorious attack though there never seemed much hope at all at Pelennor Fields.
To this day, even short clips of either of those scenes immediately give me chills and cause me to tear up. And yes, a part of that is due to the power of Tolkien’s story itself and the craft of the filmmakers.
But much of it is due to Hill’s performance, taking the raw material he is given in the script and rising to the occasion, lifting every heart that hears with the power and skill of his delivery and helping to craft some of the most incredible scenes ever to be captured on film.
Thank you, Bernard Hill, for a performance so many of us will always treasure: a truly unforgettable and epic portrayal of King Théoden.
I can’t think of a more fitting way to wish him well than to say what Théoden himself might have said to him: Hail the victorious dead! Go to your fathers, in whose mighty company you shall not now feel ashamed.
Namárië.
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Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him; may his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
His portrayal was so skilled I’m sure he had something of Theoden’s spirit in him - May he meet Tolkien now in the everlasting Golden Hall!
Hail, Theoden King. The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep one last time...