John Stephen Hill

Who is John Stephen Hill?

John Stephen Hill, born in Montreal, the third of five children, Hill attended Earl Haig Secondary School in North York. After a theatre arts class he won an honourable mention at the Sears Ontario High School One Act Drama Festival. In 1977, he began working as a Canadian actor as 'Stephen Hill' in television commercials. Hill got his break on stage from four notable pioneers of 'Canadian' theatre: two productions with Susan Douglas Rubes' Young People's Theatre in Toronto; two seasons with William Hutt's Theatre London Young Company; three seasons with Dennis Sweeting at Kawartha Summer Theatre in Lindsay, Ontario; and Alberta Theatre Projects, Calgary, with Douglas Riske.

From 1980-1983, in the West End in London, England, Hill worked as John Stephen Hill because another 'Stephen Hill' was already a member of British Actors' Equity. Hill's West End work include his leading role debut in Deathtrap, Ladies in Retirement, and a tap-dancing Aggie footballer choreographed by Tommy Tune in the original UK production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. He stood by for Elizabeth Taylor's Broadway revival of The Little Foxes at the Victoria Palace Theatre.