John Hill (screenwriter)

John Hill was an American screenwriter and television producer. He was originally from Prairie Village, Kansas.[1]

John Hill
BornMay 6, 1947
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
DiedDecember 12, 2017
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
OccupationTelevision producer, screenwriter
Years active1974–1999
Home townPrairie Village, Kansas
Spouse(s)Nancy Gross Hill (1990-2017)
Children2
AwardsEmmy Award, Outstanding Drama Series, for the NBC-TV series L.A. Law (1991)

He got his start in Hollywood when he penned the 1976 TV movie Griffin and Phoenix, starring Peter Falk and Jill Clayburgh. In 1980 his film Heartbeeps was released, starring Andy Kaufman and Bernadette Peters.[2] He was also commissioned to novelize both scripts (the first appearing under the TV movie's original title, Griffin Loves Phoenix), exercising his contractual first-refusal right to do the prose adaptations himself; and years later, in personal conversation with a colleague who knew of the books, Hill confessed that he loved working on them because "they taught me how to be a novelist." They remain, however, his only published fiction. In 2007, Griffin and Phoenix would be remade as a feature film, screenplay also by Hill, starring Dermot Mulroney and Amanda Peet.

In 1988, he co-wrote Little Nikita, starring Sidney Poitier and River Phoenix.

He wrote the movie Quigley Down Under in 1975. It was slated to be filmed in 1980, but was postponed when star Steve McQueen became too ill with cancer. Clint Eastwood was approached next, but he turned it down. It was finally filmed and released in 1990, starring Tom Selleck (who had wanted to make the film for several years), Laura San Giacomo and Alan Rickman.[3]

He attained success as a writer for TV's Quantum Leap, and writer/producer of L.A. Law, for which he won an Emmy.[2]

Later in life, Hill taught in the Educational Outreach division of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in Las Vegas, Nevada.[4][5]

Hill was married twice; his first marriage lasted from 1976 until it ended in divorce in 1991.[2] His two children resulted from this union.[2] He married Nancy Gross in 1995.[2] They were still married at the time of his death.[6]

References
  1. "John Hill". www.facebook.com. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  2. John Hill on IMDb
  3. Persico Newhouse, Joyce J. – "'Perfect Hero' Selleck Takes Aim at Action". – Times Union. – October 18, 1990.
  4. He wrote 73 feature-length screenplays. He passed away in Las Vegas, NV in December, 2017. Hogan, Jan (April 3, 2007). "Scripting success". Sumerlin view. Retrieved March 26, 2009.
  5. "How to make a (cheap) feature film in 2 weekends". UNLV Course Information/Status. University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Retrieved March 26, 2009.
  6. "Nancy Hill". www.facebook.com. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
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