Gil Hill

Bio:
Gil Hill (born Gilbert Roland Hill in November 5, 1931 in Birmingham, Alabama) was a former President of the Detroit City Council, police officer and part-time actor. Gil was raised by his mother, and he, along with his sister, moved to Washington D.C. in the 1940s. Gil graduated from Cardozo High School and joined the United States Air Force. Gil was stationed at the Selfridge Air Force Base near Detroit, starting Gil’s love affair with the Motor City. After leaving the Air Force in 1953, Gil returned to Detroit and enrolled in the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department. Gil transferred to Detroit Police Department in 1959. He achieved the rank of detective in 1969 and was assigned to the homicide division the next year. In 1982, Gil was promoted to Inspector and put in charge of the Homicide Division. In 1989, he retired with the rank of Commander. By then, Gil had gained some national attention from appearing in the first two Beverly Hills Cop movies. When showing director Martin Brest around Detroit, the director had Gil read a few lines. Martin was so impressed that he cast Gil as Inspector Todd. Gil would star in only three movies, the last being Beverly Hills Cop III in 1994. On Feb. 29, 2016, Gil passed away following a battle with pneumonia.

Best Known For:
Gil Hill was best known as Inspector Todd in the Beverly Hills Cop movies, starring alongside Eddie Murphy, and as a real-life cop and city council member of Detroit.

Personal Life:
After retiring, Gil was elected a councilman for Detroit. In 1987, he was elected City Council President. In 2001, Gil ran for mayor against Kwame Kilpatrick, but was unsuccessful. Gil married Dolores Hooks in 1955. They remained married until her death in 2015. They had two sons and a daughter, along with three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.