Martin Freeman has spoken about the death of his The Responder co-star Bernard Hill in a televised interview for the first time since the 79-year-old’s death.
Hill, who stars opposite Freeman in the ongoing second season of the BBC cop drama, died on Sunday, his agent confirmed.
As well as his final role in The Responder where he plays the absent father to Freeman’s Chris Carson, Hill was best known for his roles in Hollywood blockbuster Lord of the Rings and Titanic.
On Thursday night, less than a week after Hill’s death, Freeman and fellow actor Adelayo Adedayo joined Alex Jones and Roman Kemp on The One Show to discuss the series.
As the conversation unravelled, Kemp turned his attention to the late Hill, asking Freeman what it was like to work with the actor.
“It was delightful,” Freeman said as he began his tribute. “It was really lovely. When he came on set… he was from Manchester but he was Liverpool royalty having played Yosser Hughes in Boys From The Black Stuff like 40 years ago.
Bernard Hill joined the cast of The Responder for its second season
BBC
“He was loved in that city and for us in the cast and crew, he was a real gentle, kind, playful man with a twinkle in his eye.
“I loved working with him. It felt like a real… well, now it’s his last performance so for us it’s devastating that he’s not here to reap the rewards of what he did because what he did was so good.
“But I’m glad that the last thing he did was something he cared about and loved so much. We were lucky to have him,” he added.
Freeman’s words echo that of the statement he released shortly after news of Hill’s death broke.
Martin Freeman spoke about the death of Bernard Hill on The One Show
BBC
The former The Office star previously said: “Working with Bernard on The Responder was such a fantastic treat for all of us. He was unassuming, funny and, of course, ridiculously talented.
“A Mancunian lad who was Liverpool royalty, it was a privilege for us all to have shared in his last brilliant performance.”
Speaking ahead of his stint in the second season of The Responder, Hill opened up to the BBC about his fondness for the city of Liverpool as well as the show itself.
“Liverpool is one of my favourite places, I’ve got a great relationship with the city,” he said.
BBC The Responder: Martin Freeman has paid tribute to Bernard Hill
BBC
“I lived there for a long time and my daughter was born there so it’s like my second home.”
When asked if he enjoyed his time on The Responder, Hill replied: “Yeah, I loved it and didn’t want it to finish and that’s a good sign!”
The BBC drama continues Sunday evenings at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
