Charlie Hill

Charles Allan Hill (July 6, 1951 – December 30, 2013) was one of the first Native American stand-up comedians, to appear on major television shows such as the Richard Pryor Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Show with David Letterman, Roseanne and Moesha. He was a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, with heritage from the Mohawk and Cree Nations.[1] He wrote for the television series Roseanne and co-produced and hosted a Showtime special called The American Indian Comedy Slam: Goin Native No Reservations Needed.[2] Charlie Hill was the first Native stand-up comedian ever to perform on national television, making his network debut on the Richard Pryor Show in 1977. He then went on to become the first Native comedian to perform on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

For other people named Charlie Hill, see Charlie Hill (disambiguation).

Charlie Hill
Hill on The Richard Pryor Show in 1977
Born
Charles Allan Hill

(1951-07-06)July 6, 1951
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
DiedDecember 30, 2013(2013-12-30) (aged 62)
Oneida, Wisconsin, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison (BA)
Occupation(s)Comedian, writer, actor
Years active1969–2013
SpouseLenora Hill
Children2 sons, 2 daughters

Early life and education

Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1951, he moved as a child with his family when they returned to their homestead on the Oneida reservation in 1962.

In 1969, he graduated from West De Pere High School and enrolled at University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he majored in speech and drama. He was involved in the Broom Street Theatre Group in Madison, WI.

During the early 1970s, he was a member of the Native American Theatre Ensemble. Among other productions, the ensemble performed Coyote Tracks and Foghorn at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in the East Village of Manhattan, where the ensemble was in residence.[3] The ensemble also toured Germany in 1973[4][5] and the United States in 1974.[6]

After college, Hill moved to New York City to study acting and later to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of becoming a professional stand-up comedian.[7]

Career

In the 1970s, Hill earned a spot to perform at Hollywood's famous Comedy Store, a scouting ground for major network TV. There, he became fast friends with some of the top comedians at the time. Having made a name for himself at the age of 26, Hill received a once in a lifetime opportunity to debut on The Richard Pryor Show. Hill's first network appearance was on The Richard Pryor Show in 1977. He also appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,[8] The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and made multiple appearances on Late Night with David Letterman.[2]

Hill appeared on the Mike Douglas Show and The Merv Griffin Show several times.

Hill appeared on many television shows, and hosted an evening of Native American comedians on a Showtime special. He was the subject of the PBS documentary On and Off The Res' with Charlie Hill (1999), directed by Sandra Osawa.[2]

Hill was interviewed about American Indian Movement activist Dennis Banks in the documentary A Good Day to Die.[9]

Hill starred in the 1984 film Harold of Orange, written by Gerald Vizenor.[10]

Awards and recognition
  • 2009: Ivy Bethune Tri-Union Diversity Award
  • 2010: "Native America on the Web" honored Hill for his "lifetime of promoting positive images of Native Peoples and bridging cultural differences through the healing power of humor"
  • 2012: Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Award for his exceptional work as a Native artist.
  • 2022: On July 6, the Google Doodle was dedicated to Hill in recognition of his challenging harmful stereotypes in the entertainment industry as well as being the first Native comedian to be on national television.[11]

Selected film and television credits

Death

Hill died on December 30, 2013, in Oneida, Wisconsin, of Non-Hodgkins lymphoma.[12][13]

References
  1. Charlie Hill profile. The New York Times. Accessed December 31, 2013.
  2. NPR profile of Charlie Hill Archived May 31, 2021, at the Wayback Machine. National Public Radio. Accessed December 31, 2013.
  3. La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Production: Native American Theatre Ensemble's Coyote Tracks and Foghorn (1973)". Accessed February 15, 2020. Archived February 15, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
  4. La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Tour + Troupe Files ➔ Program: "Coon Tracks the Coyote" and "Foghorn" (Berlin)". February 15, 2020. Archived February 15, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
  5. La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Core Photograph Files ➔ Production Photographs: "Foghorn" in Berlin (1973)". Accessed February 15, 2020. Archived February 15, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
  6. La MaMa Archives Digital Collections. "Tour + Troupe Files ➔ Reviews, Programs, Correspondence: Native American Theatre Ensemble US Tour (1974)". Accessed February 15, 2020. Archived February 15, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Ryan Funeral Home & Crematory | De Pere, WI". RyanFH.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  8. Kendra Meinert, "Groundbreaking Oneida comedian Charlie Hill dies at 62" Green Bay Press-Gazette, December 31, 2013. Accessed May 26, 2014.
  9. "A Good Day to Die transcript". Journeyman.tv. Archived from the original on August 8, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
  10. "Best Native Films in Variety". November 18, 2020. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  11. "Today's #GoogleDoodle Celebrates the Native American Stand-up Comedy Legend, Charlie Hill, ... - Latest Tweet by Google Doodles | 👍 LatestLY". LatestLY. July 6, 2022. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  12. "Indian Country Today Media Network: Comedian Charlie Hill Walks On". Archived from the original on January 1, 2014. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  13. ""Warrior of Comedy" Charlie Hill Has Walked On at 62". Native News Online. December 30, 2013. Archived from the original on December 15, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
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