{{short description|American actor (1948–2014)}} {{Other people|Roger Hill}} {{Use American English|date=November 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Roger Hill | image = Roger Hill (actor).webp | caption = Roger Hill in ''The Warriors'', 1979. | birth_name = Roger W. Hill | birth_date = {{birth date|mf=y|1949|7|31}} | birth_place = The Bronx, New York, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|2|20|1949|7|31|mf=yes}} | death_place = The Bronx, New York, U.S. | spouse = Stephanie Bell Hill (married 1976-1980) | partner = Ellen Holly<br><small>(1984–1987)</small> | children = 1 | occupation = Actor | education = City College of New York | known_for = Cyrus – ''The Warriors'' | years_active = 1970–1985 }} '''Roger W. Hill'''<ref name="uspr">"United States, Public Records, 1970-2009", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KK5L-QLC : 12 November 2019), Roger W Hill, 1995-1998.</ref><ref name="usc 1950">"United States, Census, 1950", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KB4-246C : Fri Oct 06 04:14:30 UTC 2023), Entry for Loretta E. Hill and Loretta E Boschulte.</ref> (July 31, 1949<ref>[https://www.allmovie.com/artist/roger-hill-an89951/filmography Roger Hill Filmography]. AllMovie. Retrieved January 3, 2025.</ref> – February 20, 2014) was an American stage, film and television actor. Beginning his acting career in the early–1970s, Hill is best known for his role as Cyrus in the 1979 action thriller film ''The Warriors''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Dagan, Carmel |url=https://variety.com/2014/film/people-news/roger-hill-who-played-cyrus-in-the-warriors-dies-at-65-1201120971/# |title=Roger Hill, Who Played in 'The Warriors,' Dies at 65 |work=Variety |date= February 25, 2014|accessdate=February 26, 2014}}</ref>

==Biography== ===Career=== Born in the Bronx borough of New York City, Hill graduated from City College of New York.<ref Name=NYDailyNews>O'Connor, Tim (February 26, 2014). [http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/warriors-actor-roger-hill-dies-age-65-article-1.1702054 "The Warriors' actor, lifelong New Yorker Roger Hill dies at age 65"]. ''Daily News'' (New York). February 26, 2014,</ref> Hill portrayed the character of Lil John in the 1974 film ''The Education of Sonny Carson'', and took on the role of Ernest Clay<ref name="nyt-filmography">{{Citation| title = Roger Hill-Filmography-New York Times| url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/32347/Roger-Hill/filmography| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311001839/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/32347/Roger-Hill/filmography| url-status=dead| department = Movies & TV Dept.| work = The New York Times| date = 2014 | archive-date=March 11, 2014}}</ref> in the 1976 television movie ''Hazard's People'' starring John Houseman.<ref name="nyt-hazzards-people-review">{{Citation | title = New York Times Overview – Hazzard's People| url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/126110/Hazard-s-People/overview| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311001942/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/126110/Hazard-s-People/overview| url-status=dead| department = Movies & TV Dept. | work = The New York Times | author = Hal Erickson| author-link = Hal Erickson (author)| date = 2014| archive-date=March 11, 2014}}</ref> In 1979, Hill portrayed the role of Cyrus in the 1979 film ''The Warriors''. Hill was chosen to portray the doomed gang lord Cyrus after the original actor chosen for the part was a no show.<ref name="warriors-movie-site">{{Citation| title = Roger Hill Interview – The Warriors Movie Website| date=February 13, 2015| url=http://www.warriorsmovie.co.uk/production/interviews/roger-hill|access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref> After his work in ''The Warriors'', Hill performed in the ABC Daytime soap opera ''One Life to Live'', playing the part of Alex Lowndes from 1983–1985.<ref>Hirsch, Linda (June 18, 1983). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-courier-news/162170871/ "Soap Notes"]. ''The Bridgewater Courier-News''. p.&nbsp;26. Retrieved January 3, 2025.</ref><ref>Chance, Norman (2011). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=dqLRaPDcbTgC&pg=PA509&dq=%22Alex+Lowndes%22+%22Roger+Hill%22 Who Was Who on TV, Volume 2]''. Philadelphia, PA: Exlibris. p.&nbsp;509. {{ISBN|978-1-4568-2163-0}}.</ref> Hill was in the Hart to Hart episode Murder, Murder on the Wall. Aside from his film and television career, Hill appeared in stage productions. Hill was a part of the Frank Silvera Writers’ Workshop and appeared in Off Broadway along with touring productions of Charles Gordone’s ''“No Place to Be Somebody,”'' Ed Bullins’ ''“The Fabulous Miss Marie”'' and ''“Hamlet”''.

===Later, personal life and death=== In later years, Hill retired from acting and worked as a part-time librarian along with writing poetry. In 2005, Hill filed a lawsuit of $250,000 against ''Take-Two'' for using his voice and depiction in ''The Warriors'' video game. Hill claimed that it would not have been difficult for Take-Two to pay, since the game made $37 million. A spokesman for Take-Two stated that the company "has a valid third-party license for the rights to use Roger Hill's likeness and the character of Cyrus in ''The Warriors'' video game and related marketing materials".<ref name="gama">{{cite news |work=Gamasutra|first=David |last=Jenkins |title=Take-Two/Rockstar Sued By The Warriors Actor|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/take-two-rockstar-sued-by-i-the-warriors-i-actor|date=June 26, 2006|access-date=December 29, 2025}}</ref> Roger married artist, Stephanie Bell Hill in 1976. Hill also had a relationship with actress Ellen Holly from 1984 until 1987. Hill had one child, a son. Hill's son, Chris Hill, is a film editor. Hill died of a heart attack on February 20, 2014, in The Bronx, New York, aged 65.<ref Name=NYDailyNews />

== Filmography == {| class="wikitable" ! colspan="4" | Film |- ! Year ! Film ! Role ! Notes |- | 1974 | ''The Education of Sonny Carson'' | John 'Lil John' | |- | 1979 | ''The Warriors'' | Cyrus | |- |- ! colspan="4" | Television |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1976 | ''Hazard's People'' | Ernest Clay | TV Movie |- | 1980 | ''Doctor Franken'' | Anesthesiologist | TV Movie |- | 1982 | ''American Playhouse'' | Second Man At Barbecue | 1 episode: "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf" |- | 1982–1985 | ''One Life to Live'' | Alec Lowndes | 3 episodes |- | 1984 | ''Once Upon a Classic: The Leatherstocking Tales'' | Chingachgook | 4 episodes |- |}

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * {{IMDb name|0384631|Roger Hill}} * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcc2ltIjNU0&ab_channel=nigen Cyrus full speech (The Warriors 1979)]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Roger}} Category:1949 births Category:2014 deaths Category:20th-century American male actors Category:American male film actors Category:American male soap opera actors Category:American male television actors Category:Male actors from the Bronx Category:20th-century African-American male actors