Tony-Winning 'Virginia Woolf' Star Arthur Hill Dies at 84

Arthur Hill, who created the role of George in the original Broadway production of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, has passed away at the age of 84.  He died in Pacific Palisades, CA of complications from Alzheimer's Disease.

He won the 1963 Best Actor in a Play Tony Award (as well as a New York Drama Critics Award) for his work as the deceptively meek husband, who fuels his marriage to the formidable Martha with stinging insults and psychological games of make believe.  He also played George in London.

Born on August 1st, 1922 in Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada, Hill originally wanted to be a lawyer.  Moving to England, he found success as a radio and stage actor.

He made his Broadway debut in the original production of Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker, in which he created the role of Cornelius Hackl.  He also originated the role of Ben Gant in Ketti Frings' Pulitzer Prize-winning adaptation of Thomas Wolfe's Look Homeward, Angel, appeared in Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's The Gang's All Here, and in Tad Mosel's Pulitzer-winning All the Way Home, based on James Agee's A Death in the Family, as well as in the short-lived musical Something More (in which he co-starred with Barbara Cook) and in Eugene O'Neill's More Stately Mansions.

He appeared in dozens of films and TV shows.  Among his screen credits were Life with the Lyons, The Deep Blue Sea, The Pursuit of Happiness, Rabbit, Run, The Andromeda Strain, Dirty Tricks and The Amateur, while on TV, he was seen in such shows as "The Untouchables," "Marcus Welby, M.D.," and "Murder, She Wrote."