The Blackley born actor Bernard Hill,probably best known for his role in Boys from the Black Stuff has died at the age of 79
He starred as King Theoden in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film Titanic.
But he was best known for his character Yozzer Hughes in the 1980’d drama when he captured the essence of what it was like standing in the dole queue in a northern town, surrounded by proud blokes whose jobs and communities had been destroyed by Thatcher, and condensed it all into one tragic character.
His management company added in a statement: “Bernard was a client of Optimism Entertainment for many years and was a true gentleman and extremely talented artist.
“He was an amazing man and we are saddened to hear of his passing. Our deepest condolences go out to his family. We will miss him greatly “
