BBC drama The Responder has returned to screens the same day as star Bernard Hill died (Picture: BBC)
BBC viewers have been left emotional after watching Bernard Hill’s final TV role in The Responder.
On Sunday, it was announced that the actor had died aged 79 after pulling out of a Comic Con event in Liverpool.
Best known for his performances in Titanic, The Lord of the Rings and Boys from the Blackstuff, Hill’s death was reported by the national broadcaster just hours before the release the second season of the BBC drama, which stars Martin Freeman.
In it, Hill played the role of Tom, the father of Martin’s character Chis Carson, a police officer who finds himself caught in the middle of a drug war between two of Liverpool’s most dangerous dealers.
Explosive scenes between the father-and-son saw the characters go head-to-head, arguing about their past and Tom’s violent actions towards his ex-wife.
‘The Responder is so brilliant, so glad it’s back for another series. And nice to see the late Bernard Hill make an appearance,’ Amy Beth posted on X.
He played Tom, the father of lead character Chris (Martin Freeman) (Picture: BBC)
The pair had an explosive argument in the season 2 premiere (Picture: BBC)
‘Couldn’t have had a more perfect tribute for Bernard Hill. Brilliant two-hander scene with Martin Freeman. Great writing,’ Joy shared.
‘Strange seeing Bernard Hill appear in #TheResponder as Martin Freeman’s dad on the day he passed away. RIP Yosser,’ Glen added.
Viewers shared tributes after watching the episode (Picture: X)
Many said it was an emotional watch (Picture: X)
Others praised the actor (Picture: X)
Speaking about his character before his passing, Hill said: ‘It was quite hard because we didn’t have much of Tom’s backstory established in series one, so I just let it roll and didn’t try to impose anything on him. Martin seemed to be doing the same in quite a smooth way, so I picked up what parts of the character I needed from him and then the character of Tom revealed itself.’
He continued: ‘Chris wants to be a good father and maybe go against what his own relationship with Tom was. It sort of promotes him to go on and be better, it gives him a strong sense of motivation to be better than Tom was.’
The actor died this weekend aged 79 (Picture: Shirlaine Forrest/Getty Images)
He also explained that he had initially got to spend time with Freeman when he was filming The Hobbit in New Zealand, with the actor saying they ‘got on very well’.
Earlier today, director of BBC drama Lindsay Salt shared a statement paying tribute to the actor.
‘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,’ she said.
‘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.’
The Responder is streaming on BBC iPlayer.
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