The Hill, a new sports movie about the true story of Rickey Hill, is on Netflix now – so, here’s a breakdown of its cast and characters.
Hill’s life should have made his dream impossible. He was the son of a traveling pastor, growing up in poverty in Texas, forced to wear leg braces due to a degenerative spinal condition.
Day in, and day out, he’d go outside and hit rocks with a stick. All he wanted to do was play baseball, something that filled his father with dread – what if he hurt himself, or people mocked him for his disability? He proved everyone wrong, stepping up to the plate for a short-lived but legendary minor-league baseball career.
The Hill chronicles his extraordinary story – if you’ve just watched it on Netflix, or you want a rundown of who’s in it, here’s everyone you should know in its cast.
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The Hill cast and characters
Below you’ll find a breakdown of the main cast and characters in The Hill.
The official synopsis reads: “Growing up impoverished in small-town Texas, young Rickey Hill shows an extraordinary ability for hitting a baseball, despite being burdened by leg braces from a degenerative spinal disease. His stern, pastor father discourages Rickey from playing baseball to protect him from injury, and to have him follow in his footsteps and become a preacher. As a young man, Rickey becomes a baseball phenomenon. His desire to participate in a try-out for a legendary major league scout divides the family and threatens Rickey’s dream of playing professional baseball.”
Colin Ford: Rickey Hill
Colin Ford plays Rickey Hill, a young man who dreams of defying his personal odds to become a professional baseball player.
Speaking to ClutchPoints, Ford explained why he was the perfect choice for the role. “I read the script and there was a Bible verse in it — Philippians 4:13, it’s my favorite verse. It’s something that I have in my Instagram bio and my Twitter bio and had [there] before the script came in.
“And once I saw that and just kind of saw the trials and tribulations that Rickey had gone through, I just felt like I could lend my own personal experiences in acting and wanting to become an actor, just like Rickey wants to become a baseball player.”
Ford has also starred in Push, Jack and the Beanstalk, We Bought a Zoo, and Captain Marvel.
Dennis Quaid: Pastor Hill
Dennis Quaid plays Pastor Hill, Rickey’s father who worries he could do serious damage to his body if he plays baseball and wants him to pursue a life of religious service.
Ford told MovieGuide: “Pastor Hill really wants Ricky obviously to follow in his footsteps but I think more than that it’s about wanting to keep his son safe. He’s keeping him away from baseball because he wants what’s best for his son and he doesn’t want to see him hurt.”
Joelle Carter: Hellen Hill
Joelle Carter plays Hellen Hill, Rickey’s mother and Pastor Hill’s wife.
You may have also seen Carter in Justified, Chicago Justice, and A Perfect Man.
Scott Glenn: Red Murff
Scott Glenn plays Red Murff, a major league scout who discovers Rickey.
Glenn’s filmography is full of iconic movies, such as The Right Stuff, Nashville, Backdraft, Training Day, and he also starred in Daredevil.
Siena Bjornerud: Gracie Shanz
Siena Bjornerud plays Gracie Shanz, Rickey’s girlfriend. Unlike other characters, she isn’t a real person – instead, she seems to be loosely based on his partner Sherran, who he was married to between 1975 and 1986.
Bjornerud is a singer-songwriter who’s also appeared in Underdog, Static, and You Are the Ocean.
Ryan Dinning: Robert Hill
Ryan Dinning plays Robert Hill, Rickey’s brother.
Dinning has also appeared in Strays, They Cloned Tyrone, Samaritan, and Dynasty.
Carina Worm: Connie Hill
Carina Worm plays Connie Hill, Rickey’s sister.
Worm has credits in Clinic, Dead Silent, Bad Girl, and The Vampire Diaries.
Bonnie Bedelia: Gram
Bonnie Bedalia plays Rickey’s grandmother.
Bedalia famously played Bruce McClane’s wife Holly in Die Hard, as well as starring in Love of Life, Designated Survivor, and Panic.
Randy Houser: Ray Clemons
Randy Houser plays Ray Clemons, a friend of Rickey’s who encourages him to pursue his dream.
Houser is better known for his country music, whether it’s ‘Anything Goes’, ‘How Country Feels’, and ‘Goodnight Kiss.’
The Hill is streaming on Netflix now. You can read more about its amazing true story here.
