Bernard Hill, an actor best known for his roles in Titanic and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, has passed away aged 79, his agent confirmed.

Lou Coulson, Hill’s agent, told the PA news agency that he died in the early hours of Sunday.

Bernard Hill played Captain Edward Smith in the Oscar-winning 1997 epic romance Titanic, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

Dominic Monaghan has said his Lord Of The Rings co-star Bernard Hill has “passed to the grey havens”, as he paid tribute to the actor.

He also portrayed Theoden, King of Rohan, in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy directed by Sir Peter Jackson.

Hill joined the Lord Of The Rings cast for the second film in the trilogy, 2002’s The Two Towers, which won two Academy Awards for best sound editing and best visual effects.

He returned to the franchise for 2003’s The Return Of The King, which picked up 11 Oscars, including best picture and best director for Sir Peter.

Additionally, Hill starred in drama series Boys From The Blackstuff, and the 2015 BBC adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s novel Wolf Hall.

The BBC described him as an “incredible talent” who “blazed a trail across the screen” during his career.

Actress and musician Barbara Dickson, who starred with him in a musical based on the Beatles, was among those paying tribute, describing him as a “marvellous actor”.

Alongside a photo of them together, she wrote: “It’s with great sadness that I note the d_eath of Bernard Hill.

“We worked together in John, Paul, George, Ringo and Bert, [by] Willy Russell marvellous show 1974-1975.

“A really marvellous actor. It was a privilege to have crossed paths with him. RIP Benny x”