Gil Hill facts for kids

Gilbert Roland Hill (born November 5, 1931 – died February 29, 2016) was an American politician, police officer, and actor. He was well-known as the President of the Detroit City Council. Many people also recognized him for his role as Inspector Todd in the popular Beverly Hills Cop film series. He also ran for mayor of Detroit in 2001, but he did not win.

About Gil Hill

Early Life and Education

Gil Hill was born in Birmingham, Alabama. His mother, Mary Lee Hill, raised him and his sister, Toni, by herself. In the 1940s, Gil moved with his family to Washington, D.C. He went to Cardozo High School and finished in 1949. Gil wanted to go to Howard University, but his family did not have enough money.

Instead, Gil joined the United States Air Force in 1950. He was stationed at Selfridge Air Force Base near Detroit. After leaving the Air Force in 1953, he went back to the Detroit area. For the next four years, he worked at different jobs.

Career in Law Enforcement

In 1957, Gil Hill joined the Wayne County Sheriff's Department. However, he soon felt it was too slow. So, in 1959, he joined the Detroit Police Department. In 1969, he became a detective. The next year, he was assigned to the homicide (murder investigation) division.

Over the next ten years, Gil became famous for his skill. He was very good at getting important information from people involved in serious cases. He even helped with the investigation of the Atlanta Child Murders in 1979. This case led to the trial and conviction of Wayne Williams.

By 1982, Gil Hill was promoted to Inspector. He was in charge of the Homicide Division. In 1989, he retired from the Detroit Police Department as a Commander.

Political Career

After retiring from the police force, Gil Hill became a councilman for the city of Detroit. He worked hard for his community. In 1997, he became the president of the Detroit City Council.

In 2001, he ran for mayor of Detroit in the 2001 Detroit mayoral election. He was a strong candidate and had a lot of support. However, he lost to Kwame Kilpatrick. In 2019, a special portrait of Gil Hill was put on display. It is at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center in downtown Detroit. This is a special honor for all former City Council Presidents.

Acting Career

Gil Hill was already well-known in law enforcement. Then, he got a chance to act in the Beverly Hills Cop movies. He played Inspector Todd, who was the boss of Eddie Murphy's character, Axel Foley.

After the first movie, Gil was offered more acting jobs. But he decided not to become a full-time actor. He did appear in the two follow-up movies. He once said that the only difference between his character and himself was that he didn't use as much bad language in real life!

Personal Life and Family

Gil Hill married Dolores Hooks in 1955. She was a singer in a local church choir. They were married for a very long time, until Dolores passed away in 2015. They had two sons and one daughter together.

Gil Hill died from pneumonia on February 29, 2016. He was 84 years old. He passed away at DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.

Film Roles

Gil Hill appeared in these films:

Gil Hill also appeared as himself in the documentary White Boy Rick.

See also

In Spanish: Gilbert R. Hill para niños