Bernard Hill: Titanic and Lord of the Rings actor dies

Actor Bernard Hill, best known for roles in Titanic and Lord of the Rings, has died aged 79. He played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film and King Théoden in the Rings trilogy.

His breakout role was in BBC TV drama Boys from the Blackstuff, where he portrayed Yosser Hughes, a character who struggled - and often failed - to cope with unemployment in Liverpool.

He died early on Sunday morning, his agent Lou Coulson confirmed.

A statement from his family is expected soon.

Hill was due to return to TV screens in series two of The Responder, a BBC drama starring Martin Freeman, which begins airing on Sunday.

In Boys from the Blackstuff, Hill drew praise for his gritty portrayal of Yosser Hughes, an intense and memorable character.

That show won a Bafta for best drama series in 1983, and in 2000 it was ranked seventh on a British Film Institute list of the best TV shows ever made.