Bernard Hill RIP

[Marchbanks]

Man, he was good.

Bernard Hill: Titanic and Lord of the Rings actor dies

Bernard Hill enjoyed a career spanning decades in film and television.

www.bbc.co.uk

I was working on Boys From the Blackstuff on location in Liverpool. We had just shot the scene on the building site where he nuts Mr Molloy (and actually did catch him, he told us rather sheepishly.) He came into the pub, still in costume and still looking fairly psychotic. I instinctively backed against the wall.

 

[blossomchris]

One of the most harrowing tv series I have ever watched, sad thing is nowt has changed much since.

 

[Colin L]

RIP Bernard. A very good actor. Sad news

 

[billo]

RIP Bernard
I can remember him from the early 70's he lived with a few other actors from The Everyman in a shared house opposite our little flat. I can still see him in their front garden wearing a large pair of dungarees in pastel stripes drinking and rehearsing/ adlibbing.
There is a large Comic Convention on here now and a few of the stars of LOTR have been seen out and about in the city.

 

[Tony L]

Sad news indeed. Boys From The Blackstuff was a landmark era-defining drama. Despite this Bernard Hill never ended up being defined by it and went onto a wide career. RIP.

 

[foxwelljsly]

Boys from the Blackstuff and the under appreciated Bellman and True spring to mind first. RIP

 

[Andrewxyz]

Madgett in Drowning by Numbers.

I remember the original Blackstuff play for today & the subsequent series. I took my 86 year old mother to see the stage version at the Royal Court a few weeks ago.

 

[Rockmeister]

for me he was BFTBS, but I liked his part as the grumpy husband in Shirley Valentine and then in LOTR of course.
But Yosser Hughes?
Not a bloke to come up against after a few pints.
Sad , but he'll never be outta work wherever he's gone. 'Gizza Job'. Ok, sure, angel any good?

 

[Mullardman]

Man, he was good.

Bernard Hill: Titanic and Lord of the Rings actor dies

Bernard Hill enjoyed a career spanning decades in film and television.

www.bbc.co.uk

I was working on Boys From the Blackstuff on location in Liverpool. We had just shot the scene on the building site where he nuts Mr Molloy (and actually did catch him, he told us rather sheepishly.) He came into the pub, still in costume and still looking fairly psychotic. I instinctively backed against the wall.

Sad news. As has been said.. a very versatile and capable actor
My late Father in Law was in BFTBS. He was an elderly chap by then and had worked in Music Hall and Variety from the 1930s as a Ventriloquist and separately, a 'Rustic Comedian'. His agent got him odd bits of 'extras' work. In BFTBS he just had a small non speaking part. It was he who stood up and looked up the stairs when Snowy's Dad? fell out of bed. He was also seen later by the funeral car.

 

[cooky1257]

RIP.

 

[Nic Robinson]

Noooooo! Loved his work.

 

[ff1d1l]

Another giant gone...RIP.

 

[deanf]

We attended the same college, just 30 years apart.

RIP Bernard, you made us laugh too, Going off Big Time.

 

[Finnegan]

Sad news indeed. Boys From The Blackstuff was a landmark era-defining drama. Despite this Bernard Hill never ended up being defined by it and went onto a wide career. RIP.

True, his skill and versatility as an actor ensured he was not typecast and he went on to massively develop his portfolio; who would deny him his pay cheques from the subsequent blockbuster he appeared in?

Yet Yosser was his most powerful and greatest ever performance, and Boys From The Blackstuff was the definitive TV programme of the 1980’s, and the towering artistic statement on, and denunciation of, Thatcher’s Britain. BBC news yesterday stressed his roles in Titanic and LOTR, relegating BFTB to a mere footnote in his career. Even after more than forty years, it seems the BBC is a little embarrassed that it once produced such visceral, moving, radical and potent programmes like Our Friends In The North and BFTB.

 

[Woodface]

RIP, a very fine actor. I was a little young to appreciate Boys from the black stuff first time round, as a boy I just liked it when he headbutted people.

I watched it as an adult a few years ago & it was very moving, a great ensemble cast. They are all getting on now.

 

[twotone]

True, his skill and versatility as an actor ensured he was not typecast and he went on to massively develop his portfolio; who would deny him his pay cheques from the subsequent blockbuster he appeared in?

Yet Yosser was his most powerful and greatest ever performance, and Boys From The Blackstuff was the definitive TV programme of the 1980’s, and the towering artistic statement on, and denunciation of, Thatcher’s Britain. BBC news yesterday stressed his roles in Titanic and LOTR, relegating BFTB to a mere footnote in his career. Even after more than forty years, it seems the BBC is a little embarrassed that it once produced such visceral, moving, radical and potent programmes like Our Friends In The North and BFTB.

I’ve been watching The Singing Detective on iPlayer Denis Potter didn’t miss the bastards.

RIP Bernard.

BTW, he’s in the latest series of the Responder and very good he is too.

 

[Woodface]

I thought the piece from the Beeb was pretty decent. Lots of people will only know his more recent work; fail to see why an anti BBC jibe needs to be crowbarred in.

 

[tqineil]

Watched BFTBS on Saturday evening at the Everyman and woke the following day to read of his passing, RIP sir, 79 is too young

 

[Woodface]

I think it was quite sudden as he was supposed to attend a Comic Convention, which seems incredible.

 

[Tarzan]

RIP Bernard.