Hollywood has sadly lost yet another incredibly creative talent. Per a release fromThe Hollywood Reporter, longtime film editorMike Hillhas passed away at the age of 73. According to his family, he suffered from a case of cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, a rare lung condition, and caved to the illness at his home in Omaha, Nebraska.
Mike Hill was a name very well known in the circles of Hollywood’s most acclaimed productions. He was an especially close colleague and collaborator with director Ron Howard, and worked on a staggering 22 films of his back-to-back alongside his editing partner Dan Hanley. The very first film was Howard’s wacky comedyNight Shift(1982), which brought back one of his co-stars from the classic sitcomHappy Days. After that, Hill worked on more of Howard’s 80s comedy films likeSplash(1984),Cocoon(1985), andGung Ho(1986). He also joined the crew on Howard’s classic high-fantasy filmWillow(1988), which recently got the remake treatment as a television series.
A few years later, Hill would get true recognition on the award-winning space docudramaApollo 13(1995), which starred Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and the late Bill Paxton. The film won numerous awards, among them Mike Hill’s first Oscar for Best Film Editing. Later films in his repertoire included biographical dramasA Beautiful Mind(2001) andCinderella Man(2005), which both starred Russell Crowe. He would also work on both big screen renditions of Dan Brown’s best-selling booksThe Da Vinci Code(2006) andAngels and Demons(2009). The last film of Howard’s that wrapped up Hill’s editing career wasIn the Heart of the Sea(2015), a historical drama about the actual sinking of an American whaling ship in Essex in 1820. The tragic event would later inspire Herman Melville’s 1851 landmark novelMoby Dick.
His lifetime colleague and friend Ron Howard had this to say of their professional friendship:
“Mike was a remarkable and dedicated collaborator on our 22 movies but an even more valued friend…He was a gifted and lauded film editor, but he was even prouder of his family and the life they built together in Omaha."
Related:These Are the Best Ron Howard Films, Ranked
Mike Hill’s Journey to Acclaimed Film Editor
Fresh out of college, Mike Hill got his start in the world of film editing at TV station in Omaha as an assistant editor, cutting commercials into feature films such asA Streetcar Named Desire(1951) andOn the Waterfront(1954). Afterward, he made it to Paramount Pictures as an apprentice editor, continuing to bolster his experience. A few years later, he would come together with both Ron Howard and Dan Hanley to begin their professional collaboration on numerous films, starting withNight Shiftin 1982. For his many years of work alongside his partners, Hill was eventually elected as a member of the American Cinema Editors.
Mike Hill issurvivedby his wife LeAnne and their daughter Jesica.
