Hill was born Solomon Krakovsky or Solomon Berg in Seattle, Washington, to Russian Jewish immigrants. After graduating from West Seattle High School in 1940, Hill served four years in the United States Naval Reserve. In the 1950s, Hill moved to New York City to pursue an acting career.\n', '

Hill made his first Broadway stage appearance in Ben Hecht\'s A Flag Is Born in 1946, which also featured a young Marlon Brando. Hill said that his big break came when he landed a small part in the hit Broadway show Mister Roberts. "The director, Joshua Logan, thought I had some ability, and he let me create one of the scenes," said Hill. "So, I improvised dialog and it went in the show. That was my first endorsement. It gave me tremendous encouragement to stay in the business." Hill said this was a thrilling time in his life when, fresh out of the Navy, he played the hapless sailor Stefanowski. "You could almost smell it from the very first reading that took place; this is going to be an overwhelming hit," said Hill. "We all felt it and experienced it and were convinced of it, and we were riding the crest of a wave from the very first day of rehearsals."\n', '

In 1947, Hill joined Brando, Montgomery Clift, and Julie Harris, among others, as one of the 50 fortunate applicants (out of about 700 interviewed) to be accepted by the newly created Actors Studio.\n', '

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