Jean Hill (actress): Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|American model and actress (1946–2013)}} |
{{Short description|American model and actress (1946–2013)}} |
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{{For|the eyewitness to the assassination of John F. Kennedy|Jean Hill}} |
{{For|the eyewitness to the assassination of John F. Kennedy|Jean Hill}} |
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'''Jean Elizabeth Hill''' (November 15, 1946 |
'''Jean Elizabeth Hill''' (November 15, 1946 – August 21, 2013) was an American model and actress most notable for the role of Grizelda Brown in the 1977 film ''[[Desperate Living]]''. Hill is considered a [[Dreamlander]] ([[John Waters]]' regular ensemble of cast members).<ref>[http://brightlightsfilm.com/soul-diva-john-waters-star-jean-hill-dies/#.Vjw0c7erTIU Bright Lights Film]</ref> |
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==Biography== |
==Biography== |
Revision as of 15:11, 24 September 2021
Jean Elizabeth Hill (November 15, 1946 – August 21, 2013) was an American model and actress most notable for the role of Grizelda Brown in the 1977 film Desperate Living. Hill is considered a Dreamlander (John Waters' regular ensemble of cast members).[1]
Biography
Jean Hill was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the daughter of a city sanitation supervisor and a nurse and raised on Druid Hill Avenue in the city's Druid Heights neighborhood. She was a 1965 graduate of Frederick Douglass High School. Following high school, she earned an associate degree from Baltimore City Community College and earned a bachelor's degree in special education from what is now Coppin State University. Hill tutored special education students at School 181 in Baltimore.[2]
Known as John Waters' "discovery", he was seeking an overweight African-American woman to play in his 1977 film Desperate Living. Waters' doorman referred her to him. In Waters' book Shock Value, he describes her as "my dream-come-true, four hundred pounds of raw talent".[3]
In the mid-1980s Hill joined fellow Dreamlander Edith Massey in becoming a greeting card model, making her an icon of the gay community. She was a longtime supporter of LGBT rights and same-sex marriage. She was also active in local theater and performed at the Arena Players, where she directed and designed costumes.[2]
Death
Jean Hill died on August 21, 2013 in Baltimore, Maryland from renal failure at the age of 66.
Filmography
Year | Film | Role |
---|---|---|
1977 | Desperate Living | Grizelda Brown |
1981 | Polyester | Gospel Bus Hijacker |
2000 | In Bad Taste | Herself |
2004 | A Dirty Shame | Woman on the Fire Escape |
2005 | All the Dirt on 'A Dirty Shame' | Herself |
2010 | Frances: A Mother Divine | Herself |
References
- ^ Bright Lights Film
- ^ a b Frederick N. Rasmussen. The Baltimore Sun: Obituaries. Archived 2015-12-08 at the Wayback Machine 26 August 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2015
- ^ Queerty: Jean Hill, Greeting Card Model And Star Of John Waters Films, Dies. 23 August 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
External links