Andy Whyment has bene left devastated following the death of his former on-screen dad.
Coronation Street favourite Andy, famed for his role as Kirk Sutherland, has taken to Instagram to honour the memory of Bernard Hill, who sadly passed away on Sunday (May 5). Posting a throwback snap with Bernard, Andy penned: “My first major speaking part was on a show called Once Upon a Time in the North. It was a 6 part series and Bernard Hill played my dad, sad to hear of his passing today RIP Bernard.”
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The post quickly gathered messages of condolence from fans and fellow actors, with one fan commenting: “Gosh you look so young there. Very sad to learn that Bernard Hill has died loved in boys from the Blackstuff as Yosser Hughes and then Shirley Valentine.”
(Image: Instagram)
In response to the outpouring of sympathy, Andy said: “I was 11 when we filmed it, it was nice to work with such a great actor with me being very young, very sad he’s passed away.” Adding to the tributes, Andy’s mother also expressed her sorrow: “RIP Bernard so sad,” prompting Andy to respond: “It’s very sad isn’t it mum.”
Bernard passed away just days before his latest acting venture The Responder hit BBC One. The actor had plans to grace the Liverpool Comic Con the day prior to his unfortunate demise, alongside ‘The Lord of the Rings’ castmates Orlando Bloom, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan, reports OK!.
(Image: P Anastasselis/REX/Shutterstock)
Hill was popular for his portrayal of Theoden, King of Rohan in Peter Jackson’s iconic film trilogy. Following the announcement of his death, Comic Con organisers expressed their grief saying: “We’re heartbroken to hear the news of Bernard passing. A great loss. Thinking of his family at this very sad time, and wishing them a lot of strength.”
Born in Manchester 79 years ago, Hill had explored an expansive career following his breakout fame as Yosser in Alan Bleasdale’s 1982 BBC drama ‘Boys from the Blackstuff’, coining the phrase “Gizza job”.
(Image: CBS via Getty Images)
Following that, he featured as the disapproving spouse of Pauline Collins in the comedy masterpiece ‘Shirley Valentine’, who ditches him for a Greek romance. Many fans also recognized him as Edward J Smith, the doomed captain of 1997’s epic ‘Titanic’. His more recent roles include playing the Duke of Norfolk in 2015’s ‘Wolf Hall’, Father Robert Graves in ‘Unforgotten’ and Tom Carson, father to Chris (Martin Freeman), in the second season of ‘The Responder’, which serves as his final role.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
