His earliest theatre appearances include Willy Russell's When the Red in 1973. He would later appear in the 1974 production of John, Paul, George, Ringo ...and Bert (at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre and The Lyric Theatre of London). His other stage appearances include leading roles in A View from the Bridge (at the Bristol Old Vic / Strand), The Cherry Orchard (at Aldwych)and Macbeth (at Leichester Haymarket). He also appeared in stage productions of Gasping (at Haymarket Theatre), Shortlist, Twelfth Night and Normal Service (all of which were at the Hampstead Theatre). While working in between various movie and television projects he would later become a director in theatre (works including Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf).

His first television appearances include the film Hard Labour (1973), the acclaimed I, Claudius (1976), Fox (1980) and the BAFTA winning mini-series Boys From the Blackstuff(1982). Other notable television appearances include The Complete Dramatic Works of Willam Shakespeare: Henry VI (parts 1-3)(1983), The Burston Rebellion (1985), Mill on the Floss (1997),Great Expectations (1999) and recently The Grid (2004).

Mr Hill's theatrical film debut was in the film It Could Happen to You (1975). He would later appear in the well known productions of Gandhi (1982)and The Bounty (1984). He also gained leading roles in the films Bellman and True (1987) and Shepherd on the Rock (1993). He would later become more familar to audiences around the world in The Titantic (1997), Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003).