Into the Cast of ‘The Hill’ 2023: Here’s Everything You Need to Know
Since its release in January, The Hill has swiftly become a top 10 sports movie on the Netflix streaming platform. Against all odds, a poor young boy born with a degenerative spinal disease is determined to become a pro baseball player. A sports-drama biography directed by Jeff Celentano, The Hill tells the true story of Rickey Hill and is inspired by true events.
Despite everything stacked against him, Hill still pursues his dream of becoming a professional baseball player. However, due to his condition, in which he was born with a missing spinal disc, Hill has had to undergo numerous surgeries to allow him to walk with leg braces. His strict father, who is a pastor, tries to forbid him and dissuade him from playing baseball out of fear of aggravating injuries. As a child, Hill had to face bullying, and worse than that, his family lived in an impoverished area of Texas and came from a poor background.
The inspirational sports-drama biography, written by Angelo Pizzo and Scott Marshall Smith, showcases the hurdles and obstacles Hill had to face throughout his journey. ‘The Hill’ cast features a star-studded line-up, including the likes of Dennis Quaid, Scott Glenn, and Joelle Carter, and other notable names include Siena Bjornerud, Ryan Dinning, and a former MLB player, John Smoltz.
The plethora of cast members of The Hill play characters based on real people. The main and supporting cast members of The Hill relate to Hill’s inspiring story.
Dennis Quaid as Pastor James Hill
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Dennis Quaid has married four times throughout his life, including P.J. Soles, Meg Ryan, Kimberly Buffington, and Laura Savoie. Dennis had three children, Jack Quaid and Ryan Quaid, with both of them following in their father’s footsteps. Also, Dennis has one elder brother, Randy Quaid, who is also an actor.
Starring as Pastor James Hill in the cast of The Hill, Pastor Hill is Rickey Hill’s father, who actually tries to discourage and dissuade Rickey Hill from giving up his passion and pursuing a baseball career because of his health, which could be on the verge of potentially deteriorating due to the risk of injuries associated. Instead, he is encouraged to become a priest and starts preaching. Nevertheless, Pastor Hill supports his son’s ambition to become a baseball player and stays by his side during the tryout.
Colin Ford as Rickey Hill
Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Ford started his acting career at age five, and he landed his breakthrough movie role as Clinton Jr. in Sweet Home Alabama in 2002. Colin Ford is best known for starring in Supernatural, Daybreak, Under the Dome, and Walker.
As for The Hill cast, Colin is playing the role of Rickey Hill, a poor young boy who is disabled due to degenerative spinal disease and has his eyes set on becoming a professional baseball player. Despite the odds stacked against him, Rickey is determined to prove himself and pushes himself forward daily. Rickey aspires to be a pro in the MLB Baseball League.
Joelle Carter as Hellen Hill
Born on October 10, 1972, in Thomasville, Georgia, she had to move around a lot as her father was part of the American military. Joelle Carter started her career as a model and made notable appearances in movies like American Pie 2 and High Fidelity. Carter has been mostly recognized for playing Ava Crowder in Justified.
In The Hill cast, Joelle Carter stars as Hellen Hill, mother of Rickey Hill and wife of Pastor Hill. Like her husband, Hellen is concerned about her child pursuing his ambition to become a baseball player, as she is concerned about her son’s safety and the risk of aggravating injuries. However, just like her husband, Hellen jumps on the same boat and staunchly supports his son’s aspirations.
Scott Glenn as Red Murff
Hollywood’s veteran actor was part of the United States Marine Corps for three years before he decided to pursue his career in writing. Eventually realizing that writing wasn’t his cup of tea, he moved over to acting. Born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Scott Glenn has starred in multiple impressive films and TV shows, including The Silence of the Lambs, The Bourne Ultimatum, and Netflix’s Daredevil.
For The Hill cast, Scott Glenn plays the role of Red Murff, a famous baseball scout who discovered Nolan Ryan. Initially, Murff was hesitant about selecting Rickey, but Rickey’s persistence and determination compelled Murff to give him a chance. Rickey’s lethal and top-notch hitting convinces Murff to help him sign a contract with the Montreal Expos.
Siena Bjornerud as Gracie Shanz
Siena Bjornerud was born in 1999 in Seattle, Washington, and started off her career as a dancer. She has completed her alma mater in action from NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
In the cast of The Hill, Siena plays Gracie Shanz, the girlfriend of Rickey Hill. Unlike her fellow co-stars, who are actually inspired by real characters, Gracie is not based on a real person. However, she imitates Hills’ former wife, Sherran, whom he married in 1975. The couple had two children together but, unfortunately, got divorced in 1985.
Supporting Cast of The Hill
Ryan Dinning as Robert Hill In the cast of The Hill, Robert Hill is Rickey Hill’s brother. Before appearing in the sports-drama biography, Dining had roles in Claws, The Best of Enemies, and Just Mercy.
Carina Worm as Connie Hill – Connie Hill is Rickey Hill’s sister in the cast of The Hill. Carina has appeared in notable TV shows, including The Vampire Diaries, Bad Girl, and Dead Silent.
John Smoltz is a former MLB pitcher who played for the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, and St. Louis Cardinals from 1988 to 2009, In the cast of The Hill, John Smoltz made a cameo as a baseball colour commentator. In actual life, John works as an analyst for FOX Sports and the MLB Network and is a famous colour commentator too. In 2001, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.