Actors Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan honoured their “funny, gruff, beautiful” friend. <\/p>
The Lord of the Rings cast have paid tribute to their late co-star Bernard Hill, after he passed away aged 79.<\/span><\/p>\n The veteran actor, who starred as King <\/span>Th\u00e9oden<\/span> in the Oscar-winning fantasy franchise<\/a> directed by Sir Peter Jackson, died in the early hours of Sunday (5th May), his agent told the PA news agency.<\/span><\/p>\n Actors Elijah Wood<\/a>, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan, who played the four central hobbits in the films, honoured their \u201cfunny, gruff, beautiful\u201d friend on stage at a Comic Con event in Liverpool.<\/span><\/p>\n Hill had been due to appear at the event but pulled out on Friday evening.<\/span><\/p>\n Paying tribute, the event organisers said: \u201cWe\u2019re heartbroken to hear the news of Bernard Hill\u2019s passing. A great loss.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThinking of his family at this very sad time, and wishing them a lot of strength.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Astin, who played Samwise Gamgee, began by saying: \u201cWe love him. He was intrepid, he was funny, he was gruff, he was irascible, he was beautiful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Boyd, who played Pippin, added: \u201cWe were watching the movies and I said to Dom, I don\u2019t think anyone spoke Tolkien\u2019s words as great as Bernard did.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe would break my heart. He will be sorely missed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n BREAKING: The cast of the Lord of the Rings have paid tribute to Bernard Hill, who played King Th\u00e9oden in two of the films. Bernard died this morning at the age of 79. pic.twitter.com\/bNlgW1QOtx<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Lauren Ostridge (@Lauren_ITV) May 5, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>