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[wenis]

Variety

Roger Hill, who played gang leader Cyrus in Walter Hill’s 1979 cult classic “The Warriors,” died Thursday in New York. He was 65.

Hill spent nearly 20 years as an actor, working mostly in theater. He was an early participant in the Frank Silvera Writers’ Workshop and appeared in Off Broadway and touring productions of Charles Gordone’s “No Place to Be Somebody,” Ed Bullins’ “The Fabulous Miss Marie” and “Hamlet.”

But the role with which he made the biggest impression was the charismatic but doomed gang lord Cyrus in Paramount’s “The Warriors.” He also played Alec Lowndes on ABC’s “One Life to Live” from 1982-85.

In 2005 he filed a lawsuit of $250,000 against Rockstar Games for using his voice and depicting him in the videogame based on “The Warriors.”

Born and raised in New York City, Hill graduated from the City College of New York. In later years, he left acting and spent time working as a part=time librarian and writing poetry.

He is survived by his only son, film editor Chris W. Hill.

Hill was chosen to portray the doomed gang lord Cyrus in The Warriors after the original actor chosen for the part, a real life gang leader, mysteriously disappeared just before filming started. Asked years later by a family member what was his inspiration for the infamous "Can You Dig It" speech, Hill said that he ad-libbed key moments of that speech.

Guess a rewatch of The Warriors is now in order.

Spoiler

rule of three... 3/3

 

[twinturbo2]

Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Harold Ramis, now this?

:-(

 

[Zeus Molecules]

RIP and the warriors was great, as widespread as it is its still underrated.

 

[jayu26]

Just saw The Warriors couple of weeks ago. RIP Roger Hill.

 

[J_Macgrady]

I can't dig that =(

R.I.P.

The Warriors is one of my favorite films of all time and his speech at the beginning really sets the tone for the movie.

 

[Lord of Castamere]

Everyone stop dieing right now or I'll do something drastic.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

RIP

Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Harold Ramis, now this?

:-(

The celebrity deaths haven't just come in threes this year - they've come in the dozens. :/

 

[Loudninja]

Aww man.

 

[Unspeakable Evil]

R.I.P

 

[noquarter]

I can't dig that =(

R.I.P.

+1

Love the Warriors, sad to see him go, especially at the not old age of 64.

 

[C4Lukins]

Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Harold Ramis, now this?

:-(

Do not forget Shirley Temple and Sid Ceaser. This may be the shortest amount of time that so many legends have died.

 

[xxracerxx]

Bummer.

 

[Mighty Chin]

I Dug It.