David Emge Dies: ‘Dawn of the Dead’ Actor Was 77
David Emge, a veteran actor best known for his role in George A. Romero‘s zombie-horror classic Dawn of the Dead, has died. He was 77.
The actor’s family confirmed his passing with his Indiana hometown newspaper, the Evansville Courier & Press, revealing he died Saturday, January 20, at the West River Health Campus. A cause of death was not given.
Born on September 9, 1946, in Evansville, Indiana, Emge attended the University of Evansville, where he studied drama. He was later drafted into the U.S. Army and served during the Vietnam War.
His acting career began in 1971 on stage, where he performed at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. He would make his on-screen debut in a small cameo in the 1976 comedy movie The Booby Hatch. Emge was working as a chef in New York City when he met Romero, who cast him in Dawn of the Dead.
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Emge’s portrayal of Stephen, the helicopter pilot who is later turned into a zombie, became his best-remembered role. Years later, he still recalled the role fondly, saying in the 2004 documentary feature The Dead Will Walk, “Being the zombie was something that I could just like grab onto.”
“I sat there for weeks and weeks watching all of these people coming up with ‘their’ zombie,” he continued. “And I’m thinking, ‘What am I gonna do?’ I had to come up with something that was distinctive enough, so I thought, ‘OK, now, so what happens to this guy?’ He gets bit in the neck, he’s bit in the leg, he’s shot in the arm, so basically, the zombie image came out of the wounds that he received.”
In addition to his role in Dawn of the Dead, Emge also appeared in The Devil and Sam Silverstein (1976), The Liberation of Cherry Janowski (1976), Basket Case 2 (1990), and Hellmaster (1992).
The George A. Romero Foundation paid tribute to Emge on social media, writing, “The GARF is heartbroken to hear of David Emge’s passing. David made a great impact with his performance in George’s Dawn of the Dead, and we are grateful for him. Our sincerest condolences to his family, friends, and fans. Rest easy, Flyboy.”
The GARF is heartbroken to hear of David Emge’s passing. David made a great impact with his performance in George’s Dawn of the Dead, and we are grateful for him.
Our sincerest condolences to his family, friends, and fans.
Rest easy, Flyboy.https://t.co/JWttkN3fLj pic.twitter.com/ElVQE8fi7g
— The George A. Romero Foundation (@theGARFofficial) January 22, 2024
He is survived by his sisters, Sue, Kathleen, and Barbara, and his nieces and nephews.
