| Kevin Peter Hall | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 9, 1955 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | April 10, 1991 (aged 35) Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Other names | Kevin Hall |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1979–1991 |
| Spouse | Alaina Reed Hall (m. 1988–1991) |
Kevin Peter Hall (May 9, 1955 – April 10, 1991) was an American actor known for his roles in Misfits of Science, Prophecy, Without Warning, and Harry and the Hendersons. He was also best known as the title character in the first two films in the Predator franchise.
Contents |
Hall was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[1] His parents were of above-average stature; his father, Charles Hall, was 6' 6", and his mother, Sylvia Hall, was 6' 2". At 7' 2" tall,[2] he was the tallest of seven brothers, all over 6' 5". During his high school years at Penn Hills High School, he excelled at basketball and earned a scholarship to George Washington University in Washington, D.C.. In college, Hall continued to play basketball and majored in Theatrical Arts.[3] After graduation, Hall moved to Venezuela to play basketball.
Hall made his acting debut in the 1979 horror film Prophecy. Due to his tall stature, he was often cast in monster roles. He appeared as "the alien" in the 1980 horror film Without Warning and as "Gorvil" in the 1982 television movie Mazes and Monsters. In 1985, he co-starred in the short-lived series Misfits of Science. He guest starred on the sitcom Night Court as a huge but gentle mental patient who humorously towered over bailiff Bull Shannon (played by Richard Moll, who is 6'8"). The next year, Hall portrayed yet another monster in the horror film Monster in the Closet, followed by the role of "Harry" in Harry and the Hendersons.
In 1986, Hall was cast as the main antagonist in Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. During its developmental stages, the Predator was going to be played by Jean-Claude Van Damme, who played the Predator for the first few scenes and wasn't billed on end credits. The producers decided to recast with Hall so that the Predator could realistically physically dominate the film's human characters. Hall would go on to reprise the role in the 1990 sequel.
Following his role in Predator, Hall appeared in the film Big Top Pee-wee (1988) and had a guest spot on Star Trek: The Next Generation (a series for which he had once been a leading contender for two key roles, Geordi LaForge and Lt. Commander Data).[4] From 1989 to 1990, he had a recurring role on the NBC sitcom 227. In 1990, Hall reprised his role as Harry on the television series based on the film. He died during the series' first season.
Hall met actress Alaina Reed while filming a guest spot on the television show 227. The couple would marry both on the show and in real life.[5]
While working on the series Harry and the Hendersons, Hall announced that he had contracted HIV from a contaminated blood transfusion.[6] On April 10, 1991, Hall died from pneumonia.[7] He was 35 years old.
Hall was posthumously inducted into the Penn Hills Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class on May 8, 2009.[8]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Prophecy | Mutant bear | Uncredited |
| 1980 | Without Warning | The Alien | Credited as Kevin Hall |
| 1982 | Mazes and Monsters | Gorvil | Television movie |
| 1983 | One Dark Night | Eddie | |
| 1984 | The Wild Life | Bouncer | Credited as Kevin Hall |
| 1984 | E/R | Donald Haines | Episode: "Mr. Fix-It" |
| 1985 | Night Court | Wendell Martin | Episode: "Nuts About Harry" |
| 1985 | The Dukes of Hazzard | Floyd Malone | Episode: "Opening Night at the Boar's Nest" |
| 1985 to 1986 | Misfits of Science | Dr. Elvin "El" Lincoln | 16 episodes |
| 1986 | Monster in the Closet | Monster | |
| 1987 | Harry and the Hendersons | Harry | |
| 1987 | Predator | The Predator/Helicopter pilot | |
| 1988 | Big Top Pee-wee | Big John | |
| 1989 | Rodney Dangerfield: Opening Night at Rodney's Place | Richard Small | Television special |
| 1989 | Shannon's Deal | Harry | Television movie |
| 1989 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Leyor | Episode: "The Price" |
| 1989 to 1990 | 227 | Warren Merriwether | 11 episodes |
| 1990 | Predator 2 | The Predator | |
| 1990 to 1991 | Harry and the Hendersons | Harry | 4 episodes |
| 1991 | Highway to Hell | Charon |