Martin Freeman pays tribute to his 'gentle' and kind' co-star Bernard Hill following his death aged 79

Martin Freeman has paid tribute to his co-star Bernard Hill arsenic a 'gentle' and 'kind' man pursuing his decease astatine nan property of 79.

The actor, who starred alongside Martin successful BBC constabulary play The Responder, died successful nan early hours of May 5, his supplier confirmed. 

Bernard was champion known to audiences for his domiciled arsenic King Theodon successful The Lord Of The Rings trilogy and he besides played Captain Edward J. Smith successful Titantic.  

Martin, 52, reflected on his moving narration pinch Bernard during an quality connected The One Show connected Thursday.

He said: 'It was delightful, it was really lovely. I think, you know, erstwhile he came connected group he's benignant of, you know, he was from Manchester but he was Liverpool royalty, having played Yosser Hughes successful Boys from nan Blackstuff for illustration 40 years ago. 

'He was loved successful that city. And for america and nan formed and crew, he was a really gentle kind, benignant of playful man pinch a shine successful his eye. And I loved moving pinch him, it felt for illustration a real… 

'Well, now, of course, it's his past capacity truthful I mean for us, it's devastating he's not present to see, to benignant of reap nan rewards of what he did because what he did is truthful good. 

'But I'm gladsome that his past point was thing he cared astir and loved truthful much. We were very fortunate to person him.'

Martin appeared connected nan show pinch chap The Responder prima Adelayo Adedayo. 

Bernard first go acquainted to galore successful nan UK for his emotive and bold capacity as Yosser Hughes successful nan 1980s play Boys from nan Blackstuff, a domiciled that besides brought him to nan attraction of Hollywood.

His passing comes hours earlier he was owed to return to TV successful Martin Freeman drama The Responder, which airs connected BBC One tonight.

Tributes person been paid to nan thespian, pinch praise for his 'incredible talent' and a profession that saw him 'blaze a obstruction crossed nan screen'. 

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, said: 'Bernard Hill blazed a way crossed nan screen, and his long-lasting profession filled pinch iconic and singular roles is simply a testament to his unthinkable talent.

'From Boys from nan Blackstuff, to Wolf Hall, The Responder, and galore more, we consciousness genuinely honoured to person worked pinch Bernard astatine nan BBC. Our thoughts are pinch his loved ones astatine this sad time.' 

Actress and musician Barbara Dickson, who starred pinch him successful a philharmonic based connected nan Beatles, was among those paying tribute, describing him arsenic a 'marvellous actor'.

Alongside a photograph of them together, she wrote: 'It's pinch awesome sadness that I statement nan decease of Bernard Hill.

'We worked together successful John, Paul, George, Ringo and Bert, (by) Willy Russell marvellous show 1974-1975.

'A really marvellous actor. It was a privilege to person crossed paths pinch him. RIP Benny x.' 

The Manchester autochthonal had a varied on-screen career, coming to prominence acting successful mini realistic dramas, earlier going connected to prima successful films that made billions worldwide.

Born successful Blackley into a family of ember miners, he would be acting schoolhouse pinch Richard Griffiths, earlier moving into television.

After spot roles successful Hard Labour and nan poorly received but now acclaimed I, Claudius, he got his first awesome break successful nan early 1980s.

The character was formed arsenic Yosser Hughes, a moving people Liverpudlian successful The Black Stuff and its sequel, Boys from nan Blackstuff, successful 1982.

His characteristic was a man near struggling to do nan correct point aft becoming unemployed and coined nan building 'gizza job' - meaning 'give america a job' - became a communal refrain among protesters successful Thatcherite Britain.

The sequel won a Bafta for champion play bid successful 1983 and was listed arsenic nan seventh champion TV show ever made connected a British Film Institute database successful 2000. 

The aforesaid twelvemonth he took nan domiciled of Sergeant Putnam successful Richard Attenborough's Oscar-winning biopic Gandhi, earlier starring successful nan BBC's 1983 adjustment of Shakespeare's classical play Henry VI, successful which he played nan Duke of York.

He would later beryllium formed arsenic Captain Edward Smith successful James Cameron's gargantuan film, Titanic. 

The 1997 movie saw him play nan skipper of nan infamous alloy connected what would beryllium its maiden and only voyage crossed nan Atlantic, earlier going down pinch nan vessel aft it deed an iceberg.

It marked nan commencement of a precocious profession renaissance for Hill, who was past chosen by Peter Jackson successful nan domiciled of King Theoden successful nan Lord of nan Rings trilogy.

The character was praised for his portrayal of nan embattled King of Rohan who valiantly fights to prevention his group from nan forces of evil.

Hollywood kept calling, pinch Hill making appearances successful Dwayne Johnson conveyance The Scorpion King, Halle Berry scary movie Gothika and nan tennis-themed romanticist drama Wimbledon.

He continued to make regular appearances connected British television, earlier being formed successful nan 2015 BBC play Wolf Hall. 

An adjustment of Hilary Mantel's humanities fabrication astir nan emergence of Thomas Cromwell, Hill portrayed nan Duke of Norfolk successful nan first bid of nan show, earlier being replaced by Timothy Spall successful nan second.

He had been owed to return to our screens erstwhile much tonight, pinch a domiciled successful Martin Freeman's BBC show The Responder.

The thespian lived successful Suffolk and is survived by his woman Marianna Hill and their boy Gabriel.