![The Original Zombie from ‘Night of the Living Dead’ Has Died [VIDEO]](http://townsquare.media/site/190/files/2012/02/zombie.jpg?w=980&q=75)
The Original Zombie from ‘Night of the Living Dead’ Has Died [VIDEO]
Actor Bill Hinzman has died at the age of 75. Bill was a zombie. But not just any zombie. Bill was the first man to portray a zombie the way we've come to expect zombies to act.
Hinzman will forever be known as the 'Cemetery Zombie' from the original, 1968 classic 'Night of the Living Dead'. His shocking attack on two mourners in a graveyard kicks off the film.
Before 'Night of the Living Dead', movie zombies were usually of the Haitian variety. They didn't eat flesh and they didn't run around attacking people. Unless they were ordered to.
They were basically mindless slaves who did the bidding of their masters. They weren't even always dead, and you didn't need to disable their brains to stop them.
It was writer-director George Romero who changed all that with 'Night of the Living Dead'. And Hinzman was the first new-age zombie out of the gate.
Here's that famous scene:
By the way, Hinzman didn't die of a gunshot wound to the head. He had cancer.
More From Awesome 98
![‘Night of the Living Dead’ Is Now an Animated Movie – Watch the Trailer](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2021/08/attachment-Night-of-the-Living-Dead.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Lost George Romero Horror Film Will Premiere on Shudder](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2021/02/amusement-romero.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![A ‘Day of the Dead’ Series Is Lurching Onto Syfy](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2020/02/day-of-the-dead.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![George Romero, Director of ‘Night of the Living Dead,’ Dies at 77](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2017/07/george-romero.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![George Romero Blames ‘Walking Dead’ for Trouble Funding Zombie Films](http://townsquare.media/site/442/files/2017/07/walking-dead-romero-pic.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Tonight Is the Night of the Living Dead In Lubbock](http://townsquare.media/site/191/files/2015/01/NOTLD-zombies-630x42.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![The Most Popular Homemade Halloween Costumes This Year Are Zombie and Pirate](http://townsquare.media/site/190/files/2014/10/zombies.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Videos from Yesterday’s Hurricane Coverage Include a Jet Skier, a Jogger in a Horse Mask, and a Zombie Interview](http://townsquare.media/site/190/files/2012/10/zombie-pirate.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![A Bunch of Celebrities Dressed as Zombies for the Red Cross](http://townsquare.media/site/190/files/2012/06/zombies1.jpg?w=980&q=75)