George Hilton (actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George Hilton
Hilton in Any Gun Can Play (1967)
Born	Jorge Hill Acosta y Lara (1934-07-16)16 July 1934 Montevideo, Uruguay
Died	28 July 2019(2019-07-28) (aged 85) Rome, Italy
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1956–2019

George Hilton (born Jorge Hill Acosta y Lara; 16 July 1934 – 28 July 2019) was an actor from Uruguay. He became very famous for starring in many "Spaghetti Western" movies. These were Western films made in Italy, often with a unique style. Sometimes, people knew him as Jorge Hilton. He acted in over 20 Euro-Westerns, as well as several mystery (called "giallo") and action films.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

George Hilton was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. He started his career working in radio. In 1955, he moved to Argentina. There, he began using the name Jorge Hilton. Soon, he started appearing in many soap operas and movies made for Argentina.

Moving to Italy and Becoming a Star

In 1963, George Hilton moved to Italy. Many other famous South American actors also moved there because Italy's film industry was doing very well in the 1960s. After changing his name to George, he got a main role in the movie The Masked Man Against the Pirates (1965). He also appeared in a comedy called Due mafiosi contro Goldginger, which was a funny movie that made fun of James Bond films.

His career in the Euro-Western movies really took off with the director Lucio Fulci. Hilton starred in the film Massacre Time (1966) alongside Franco Nero. Even though he had a supporting role, it made him instantly popular in the genre.

Famous Western Roles

In 1967, George Hilton became even more famous as "Stranger" in Any Gun Can Play. This movie was also known as Go Kill and Come Back. The next year, he acted in seven more films, which made him well-known around the world, especially in Spain.

Soon, Hilton became one of the biggest stars of Spaghetti Westerns. He even played the character Sartana in the last movie of the "Sartana" series, called Sartana's Here… Trade Your Pistol for a Coffin. This happened after Gianni Garko stopped playing the role.

Perhaps his most famous character was the gunslinger Allelujah (or Hallelujah). He played this role in They Call Me Hallelujah (1971). He worked on this character with director Giuliano Carnimeo. Carnimeo also directed the sequel with the same character, Return of Hallelujah (1972). Another famous role for Hilton was Tresette in Man Called Invincible (1973).

Beyond Westerns

Besides Westerns, Hilton also starred in many "gialli" films. These were Italian mystery and thriller movies, often with a lot of suspense. Most of these were in the 1970s. Many were directed by Sergio Martino or Tonino Valerii. Valerii directed Hilton in the classic mystery film My Dear Killer (1972). After the Spaghetti Western movies became less popular in the 1980s, Hilton also acted in more regular crime and action films.

Later Years and Legacy

During the 1990s, Hilton mostly appeared in television series. In his last years, he acted in fewer films but still remained active. He was always remembered as one of the biggest stars of Italian cinema, along with actors like Terence Hill, Franco Nero, and Giuliano Gemma. His importance as a film star stayed strong. Hilton was often asked to do interviews and look back on his film career.

George Hilton passed away on 28 July 2019, in a clinic in Rome, Italy. He was 85 years old and had been sick for a long time. His funeral was held the next day at the Santa Maria in Montesanto church in Piazza del Popolo.

Selected Filmography

See also

In Spanish: George Hilton para niños