Mike Hill Dies: Oscar-Winning Film Editor Of Ron Howard Movies Was 73

Greg Evans

January 9, 2023 at 4:45 PM·2 min read

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Mike Hill, the film editor who, along with editing partner Dan Hanley, cut 22 consecutive Ron Howard feature films beginning with Night Shift in 1982 through Heart of the Sea in 2015, died of Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia (COP) January 5 at his home in Omaha, Nebraska. He was 73.

His death was announced through a family spokesperson.

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An Oscar winner for Apollo 13 (1996) and three-time nominee (A Beautiful Mind, 2002; Cinderella Man, 2006 and Frost/Nixon, 2009, all with Hanley), Hill was “a remarkable and dedicated collaborator on our 22 movies but an even more valued friend,” Howard said in a statement.

“He was a gifted and lauded film editor, but he was even prouder of his family and the life they built together in Omaha,” Howard continued. “Mike was a highly intelligent and creative guy who lived his life with honesty, integrity and a great sense of irony and wicked humor. He also had pretty good corner jump shot as I recall from our 3-on-3 basketball days.”

Born in Omaha, Hill found his first editorial job with a local television station there as an assistant editor cutting commercials into movies. Among the movies he later recalled adding commercials to were A Streetcar Named Desire and On The Waterfront, both directed by Elia Kazan, whose The Last Tycoon would provide Hill with an an apprentice editor job at Paramount.

Hill’s credits with Howard also include Willow, Cocoon and The Da Vinci Code.

In addition to the Oscar nominations, Hill had three BAFTA nominations, with a win for Rush in 2014, and three ACE Eddie nominations. Hill was a member of the AMPAS and ACE.

He is survived by his wife LeAnne, daughter Jesica and son-in-law Brandon.

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