Jul 06, 2022
Charlie Hill's 71st Birthday
Today’s Doodle celebrates the 71st birthday of Charlie Hill, the first Native American stand-up comedian to appear on national television. Hill—who had Oneida [Onʌyoteˀa·ká·], Mohawk [Kanien'kehá:ka] and Cree [Néhinaw] heritage—worked his way to comedic fame and was one of the first performers to take a public stand challenging Native stereotypes on major talk show programs. Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Alanah Astehtsi Otsistohkwa [Morningstar] Jewell, a French-First Nations artist from Oneida Nation of the Thames.
Hill was born on this day in 1951 in Detroit, Michigan. At age 11, he moved to the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin’s reservation where his father had grown up. On weekends, the Hill family enjoyed watching comedy shows together. Hill was particularly moved by comedian Dick Gregory, who fused activism supporting the Native American civil rights movement with comedy in a way he had never seen before. Hill was inspired to do the same. Having set a vision for his future, he later enrolled at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, majoring in speech and drama.
After college, Hill moved to New York City and became involved with the La Mama Experimental Theater Club and later moved to Seattle and joined the Native American Theatre Ensemble. After a few years of practice, he headed to Los Angeles to pursue his dream and work as an actor and comedian. He stood out among his contemporaries as a talented musician who would often incorporate the harmonica into his performances. He was also an avid reader who spent hours in the library educating himself. He set a high standard for himself and dedicated hours to studying other comedians to learn about different styles, timing, and the development of a routine. He would regularly ask other comics for tips and feedback for his own performances.
In the 1970s, Hill earned a spot to perform at Hollywood’s famous Comedy Store, a scouting ground for major network TV. There, he became fast friends with some of the top comedians of the time. Having made a name for himself in town at the age of 26, Hill received a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to debut on The Richard Pryor Show in 1977. This was not only a pivotal moment for Hill, but for all Native people who were seeing someone who looked like them on TV for the first time. However, the show’s writers asked Hill to portray a demeaning Native stereotype to which he refused. He felt his duty to stop the perpetuation of racist steretypes was more important than any career opportunity.
After his debut, Hill became a regular on late-night talk shows and exclusive comedy clubs. He went on to perform stand-up around the world and appeared in films and TV shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Show with David Letterman, Roseanne and Moesha.
In 2009, Hill received the Ivy Bethune Tri-Union Diversity Award from the Screen Actors Guild. He also won the Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Award for his exceptional work as a Native artist.
Happy 71st birthday, Charlie Hill!
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