Lord of the Rings star Bernard Hill left a modest just over £200,000 in his will to his son Gabriel Hill. The actor passed away last May at the age of 79, and documents reveal he had just £255,957 at the time of his death. After funeral expenses and other costs, this amount was reduced to £206,415. According to What the Jam, Bernard's will disclosed that he bequeathed all his belongings to his son Gabriel, with nine-tenths of his trust fund also going to him and the remaining tenth to his partner, Alison Bold.
Bernard is best remembered for his role as King Théoden of Rohan in Peter Jackson's award-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy, which bagged an impressive 11 Oscars and raked in $1billion (£790million) at the box office. He also played Captain Edward Smith in the blockbuster film Titanic in 1997.
On Sunday (February 16), BAFTA viewers were outraged when Bernard was omitted from the In Memoriam tribute, which included late stars such as Dame Maggie Smith, Twin Peaks director David Lynch, and A Star is Born actor Kris Kristofferson. However, a BAFTA representative clarified that Bernard was honoured during last year's TV BAFTAs In Memoriam segment, hence his absence this year.
Some viewers claimed they were left 'disgusted' by the oversight. One person wrote on social media: "Seriously no Bernard Hill in the memorial? ? Absolutely disgusting omission.". Another fumed: "Bafta can go get f***ed for missing off Bernard Hill in the memoriam section.".
Bernard's son Gabriel is from his relationship with Annabel Turner, and he is also survived by his daughter Jay from his relationship with Sue Allen, reports the Manchester Evening News. The passing of Bernard Hill was confirmed by his agent Lou Coulson, prompting an outpouring of tributes from around the globe and throughout the film and TV industry.
Bernard skyrocketed to fame in the landmark BBC series Boys from the Blackstuff portraying Yosser Hughes, a single dad and unemployed worker teetering on the brink of madness. Creator Alan Bleasdale crafted the role with Bernard in mind, a fact that unnerved the actor.
He confessed the role's intensity bled into his personal life, revealing: "I found myself drinking a bit more and laughing a bit louder. There weren't many moments when I could relax.". He elaborated on the immersive nature of his performance, stating: "If you're playing somebody who's heading for insanity, you might as well go there yourself and see what it's like.".
