British actor Bernard Hill, renowned for his supporting roles in "Titanic" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, has passed away at the age of 79.

Hill, who played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film and King Théoden in "The Lord of the Rings," died early on Sunday morning, confirmed by his agent Lou Coulson. At the time of his passing, he was with his fiancée Alison and his son Gabriel.

Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd, who portrayed the hobbits in "The Lord of the Rings," paid tribute to their co-star at Comic Con in Liverpool. Astin described Hill as intrepid, funny, gruff, irascible, and beautiful. Boyd praised Hill's portrayal of Tolkien's words, noting that Hill had the ability to break his heart with his performance.

Hill's breakout role was in the 1982 BBC TV drama "Boys from the Blackstuff," where he played Yosser Hughes, a character struggling to cope with unemployment in Liverpool. Alan Bleasdale, the writer of the series, praised Hill's performance, calling it astonishing and mesmeric.

Hill, who hailed from Manchester and lived in Suffolk, was set to appear in the second series of "The Responder," a BBC drama starring Martin Freeman. Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, hailed Hill's career as a trailblazing one, filled with iconic and remarkable roles.

Hill's performances in "Boys from the Blackstuff" and "Wolf Hall" drew particular acclaim. In "Wolf Hall," he portrayed the Duke of Norfolk, a key figure in Henry VIII's court.

Throughout his career, Hill appeared in a variety of roles, including in "I, Claudius," "Gandhi," "Shirley Valentine," "The Scorpion King," and "Valkyrie." He was meant to attend Comic Con Liverpool, but had to cancel at the last minute.

News of Hill's death was met with sorrow by fans, colleagues, and the entertainment industry as a whole. Scottish musician Barbara Dickson described him as a "really marvelous actor" and expressed gratitude for having crossed paths with him.