Gilbert R. Hill
Biography
Gilbert R. Hill was an American police officer and actor who became known for playing Inspector Douglas Todd in the Beverly Hills Cop series. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, he moved to Washington, D.C., and graduated from Cardozo High School in 1949. He served in the United States Air Force, then joined the Wayne County Sheriff's Department in 1957 and the Detroit Police Department in 1959. Hill became a detective in 1969 and by 1982 was an inspector in charge of the homicide division, retiring as a commander in 1989. While director Martin Brest was scouting locations for Beverly Hills Cop, Hill was assigned to show him around Detroit as head of the homicide division; Brest asked him to read lines from the script. That led to the part of Inspector Todd, a superior of Axel Foley, in Beverly Hills Cop (1984). Hill did not pursue acting as a career but reprised the role in the two sequels.
84years old at death
- Born Birmingham
- Died Detroit
- Star sign: ScorpioThe sign runs October 23 to November 21
- Also credited as Gilbert Roland Hill
Movie Career
- Films
- 3
- Career span
- 10 years1984 to 1994
Every film, newest first
- 1994Beverly Hills Cop IIIIMDb rating 5.5
- 1987Beverly Hills Cop IIIMDb rating 6.6
- 1984Beverly Hills CopIMDb rating 7.4
Genres
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Big break
While scouting Detroit locations in 1984 for the first Beverly Hills Cop film, director Martin Brest was shown around the city by real homicide detective Gilbert R. Hill. On a whim, Brest had Hill read lines from the script, and Hill landed the part of Inspector Douglas Todd.
A role that slipped away
Hill turned down other acting work offered after Beverly Hills Cop and did not pursue acting as a career, though he returned for the two sequels.
A change of course
Before acting, Hill spent decades in law enforcement, rising to Inspector in charge of Detroit's Homicide Division by 1982 and retiring in 1989 as a Commander.
A change of course
Hill was part of a law enforcement task force of more than 100 agents in the 1979 investigation of the Atlanta Child Murders.
Gilbert R. Hill movies on Netflix
Most often with
Two actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Eddie Murphy's page
Judge Reinhold's page
Ronny Cox's page
Paul Reiser's page
John Ashton's page
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.