Charlie Hill Biography: Google Doodle is celebrating Charlie Hill’s 71st birthday on July 6, 2022. Hill was the first Native-American Stand Up comedian who appeared on National Television and made history. Charlie Hill with Oneida, Mohawk, and Cree heritage, had worked his way to the comedic frame. He was also one of the first performers to take a public stand that further challenged the Native stereotypes on the major talk show programmes in the United States of America.
Charlie Hill was born in Detroit, Michigan, and was credited for writing the renowned television series ‘Roseanne’. Hill’s first network appearance was on ‘The Richard Pryor Show’ in 1977. He also became the first Native American comedian to appear on ‘The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson’.
Read below to learn more about Charlie Hill’s exceptional work as a native artist. Also find out about his background, work, career, award, and the cause of death.
Today's #GoogleDoodle celebrates the Native American stand-up comedy legend, Charlie Hill, who broke into the industry and challenged harmful stereotypes.
— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) July 6, 2022
Learn how he worked hard to become the first Native comedian to appear on national TV → https://t.co/7BO3M6DaD0 pic.twitter.com/5iL79NOZuk
Charlie Hill Biography
| Birth | July 6, 1951 |
| Death | December 30, 2013 (62 years) |
| Education | Majored in Speech and Drama |
| Occupation | Comedian, Actor and Writer |
| Years Active | 1978-2010 |
| Awards and Recognition | Ivy Bethune Tri-Union Diversity Award, Honoured for his ‘lifetime of promoting positive images of Native Peoples and bridging cultural differences through the healing power of hunour’ |
| Spouse | Lenora Hatathlie (1980-2013) (his death) |
| Children | Nabahe, Dine Nizhoni, Nanbah and Nasbah |
Charlie Hill: Birth, Family and Education
Charlie Hill was a native American who was born on July 6, 1951, in Detroit, Michigan. As a child, he moved with his family when they returned to their homestead on the Oneida reservation in 1962. Charlie Hill was also of Mohawk and Cree Ancestry. In 1969, he graduated from West De Pere High School and enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he majored in speech and drama.
During the early 1970s, he was a member of Hanay Geiogomah’s Native American Theatre Ensemble. Among the other productions, the ensemble also performed Coyote Tracks and Foghorn at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in the East Village of Manhattan, where the ensemble was residence. After college, Charlie Hill moved to Log Angeles and worked as an actor and comedian.
Charlie Hill Career
The first network appearance of Charlie Hill was on ‘The Richard Pryor Show’ in 1977. Hill was then the first comedian to appear on ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Carson’. He later also appeared on ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno’ as well as made multiple appearances on ‘Late Night with David Letterman'.
Charlie Hill was chosen to host for the ‘First Americans in the Arts’ awards show in Hollywood three times. As a stand-up comedian, Hill also appeared in venues internationally and was a regular at ‘The Comedy Store’ in Hollywood. The Native-American actor and comedian starred in the 1984 film ‘Harold of Orange’ which was written by Gerald Vizenor.
Charlie Hill Awards
| Year | Awards |
| 2009 | Ivy Bethune Tri-Union Diversity Award |
| 2010 | ‘Native America on the web’ honored Charlie Hill for his ‘Lifetime of promoting positive images of Native People and bridging cultural differences through the healing power of humor’ |
Charlie Hill: Selected Films and Credits
| Year | Selected Films and Credits |
| 1977 | A Good Day to Die |
| 1978 | The Bionic Woman (television series) |
| 1980 | The Big Show (television series) |
| 1984 | Harold of Orange (Short Film) |
| 1984 | Earthlings (television film) |
| 1985 | Late Night with David Letterman |
| 1985 | Spenser (television series) |
| 1986 | Impure thoughts |
| 1992 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno |
| 1993 | North of 60 (television series) |
| 1995 | Roseanne |
| 1996 | Moesha (television series) |
| 1996 | White Shamans and Plastic Medicine Men (documentary short) |
| 1999 | On and Off the Res with Charlie Hill (documentary) |
| 2004 | City Confidential (television documentary) |
| 2005 | CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival (television series) |
| 2004-2006 | Late Show with David Letterman |
| 2009 | The Longest Walk through Hollywood |
| 2009 | Goin’ Native: The Indian Comedy Slam-No reservations needed (television film) |
| 2010 | A Good Day to Die (Charlie Hill is interviewed about Dennis Banks) |
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