Clayton Hill

Clayton Hill (May 7, 1931 – July 26, 2009)

As a means to deal with on-the-job stress, his wife Sharon Ceccatti, an actress, convinced him to participate in acting classes at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, which he started in the early 1970s. While they were performing in operettas, he and his wife were approached about a director who was casting a horror film. Despite their unfamiliarity with zombies, they were hired to play the "lead zombies" in a film being directed by George Romero. A crew member described Hill's acting as making him "one of the most convincing zombies of the bunch",

He started Sharclay Casting with his wife, recruiting individuals as extras and for minor roles. They appeared at zombie conventions. He was cast in the horror film River of Darkness with Kurt Angle, which would have been his first lead role.

A resident of Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, he died at the age of 78 on July 26, 2009, from pneumonia. He was survived by his wife, a daughter, son, and five grandchildren.