Bernard Hill cancelled Lord of the Rings Comic Con appearance ...

Lord of the Rings star Bernard Hill reportedly cancelled an appearance just hours before his shock death.

The Daily Mail has reported the 79-year-old star was scheduled to attend a Lord of the Rings reunion at Comic Con over the weekend but pulled out at the last minute due to his “partner” being taken ill.

In a tweet posted to Comic Con Liverpool’s official X account on Saturday, they told fans: “Due to Bernard’s partner being taken very ill he can no longer attend the event. He sends his sincere apologies and thanks you all for you understanding.”

Orlando Bloom, Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd, Sean Astin and Dom Monaghan were seen out for dinner together as part of the reunion shortly after the announcement was made and appeared on stage at the event where they paid tribute to the late star.

ITV has reported Astin - who played Samwise Gamgee in the films, told fans: “We love him. He was intrepid, he was funny, he was gruff, he was irascible, he was beautiful.”

Boyd, who played Pippin, said: “We were watching the movies and I said to Dom, I don’t think anyone spoke Tolkien’s words as great as Bernard did.

“He would break my heart. He will be sorely missed.”

Hill’s agent confirmed that Hill, who portrayed King Theoden in Sir Peter Jackson’s film trilogy, had died on the early hours of Sunday morning.

BBC has reported Hill’s fiance Alison and his son Gabriel were with him at the time of his passing.

His cause of death remains unknown.

Hill held many impressive roles during his career including starring as Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Oscar-winning film Titanic. He also portrayed Yosser Hughes in the BBC drama Boys from the Blackstuff.

The actor’s most recent role was in series two of The Responder, a BBC drama starring Martin Freeman. The show will screen in the UK on Sunday night local time.

Lindsay Salt - director of the show - issued a statement following the news of Hill’s death telling fans: “Bernard Hill blazed a trail across the screen, and his long-lasting career filled with iconic and remarkable roles is a testament to his incredible talent.”

“From Boys from the Blackstuff, to Wolf Hall, The Responder, and many more, we feel truly honoured to have worked with Bernard at the BBC. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this sad time.”

Many tributes for Hill have started to flow, including from his former Lord of the Rings co-star, Monaghan. Taking to Instagram, the star said Hill had “passed to the grey havens”, adding: “But he will always be remembered.”