It is noted that the death of the actor was associated with Parkinson's disease.

The hill was known to the general public for the films The Fifth Element, From Hell and Alien, as well as the Peter Jackson trilogies The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, in which he played the hobbit Bilbo Baggins.

Hill was a BAFTA and Tony Theater Award winner.

In 1998, Queen Elizabeth II knighted Hill.