page_title: Night of the Living Dead
section_title: Cast
hierarchical_section_title: Night of the Living Dead / Cast
caption_attribution_description: English: Duane Jones in the 1968 film Night of the Living Dead
context_page_description: Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent horror film written, directed, photographed and edited by George A. Romero, co-written by John Russo, and starring Duane Jones and Judith O'Dea. The story follows seven people who are trapped in a rural farmhouse in western Pennsylvania, which is under assault by an enlarging group of cannibalistic, undead corpses.
  The film was completed on a US$114,000 budget and shot outside Pittsburgh, where it had its theatrical premiere on October 1, 1968. The film grossed US$12 million domestically and US$18 million internationally, earning more than 250 times its budget. Night of the Living Dead has been regarded as a cult classic by film scholars and critics, despite being heavily criticized upon its release for its explicit gore. It eventually garnered critical acclaim and was selected in 1999 by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry as a film deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
context_section_description: Duane Jones as Ben. An unknown stage actor, Jones' performance depicted Ben as a "comparatively calm and resourceful African American", according to a movie reviewer in 1969; Jones was a distinguished gentleman and former university professor in real life. Jones' casting was potentially controversial in 1968, when it was rare for a black man to be cast as the hero of an American film primarily composed of white actors, but Romero said that Jones simply performed the best in his audition. He went on to appear in other films after Night of the Living Dead, including Ganja & Hess (1973) and Beat Street (1984) and continued working as a theater actor and director until his death in 1988. Despite his other film roles, Jones worried that people only recognized him as Ben.
  Judith O'Dea as Barbra. A 23-year-old commercial and stage actress, O'Dea previously worked for Hardman and Eastman in Pittsburgh. O'Dea was in Hollywood seeking entry to the movie business when she auditioned. She remarked in an interview that starring in the film was a positive experience for her, though she admitted horror movies terrified her, particularly Vincent Price's House of Wax (1953). In addition to acting, O'Dea performed her own stunts, which she jokingly claimed amounted to "lots of running". Assessing Night of the Living Dead, she commented "I honestly had no idea it would have such a lasting impact on our culture". She was just as surprised at the renown the film brought her: "People treat you differently. [I'm] ho-hum Judy O'Dea until they realize [I'm] Barbara from Night of the Living Dead. All of a sudden [I'm] not so ho-hum anymore!"
  Karl Hardman as Harry Cooper. One of the film's producers (alongside Streiner), Hardman also provided the voice of the newscaster heard on the radio in Johnny's car.
  Marilyn Eastman as Helen Cooper. Eastman also played a female ghoul eating an insect.
  Keith Wayne as Tom
  Judith Ridley as Judy. Ridley later played the lead in Romero's second feature There's Always Vanilla (1971).
  Kyra Schon as Karen Cooper. Hardman's daughter in real life, the 11-year-old daughter Schon also portrayed the mangled corpse on the house's upstairs floor that Ben drags away.
  Charles Craig as TV Newscaster/Ghoul
  Bill Hinzman as the ghoul encountered by Barbra and Johnny in the cemetery. He reprised the role in new scenes filmed for the 30th anniversary edition of the film.
  George Kosana as Sheriff McClelland. Kosana also served as the film's production manager.
  Russell Streiner (uncredited) as Johnny. Streiner later served as a producer of the 1990 remake of the film, in which he also has a cameo appearance as Sheriff McClelland.
  Bill "Chilly Billy" Cardille, WIIC-TV Channel 11 news reporter, as himself. Cardille was well-known in Pittsburgh as a TV presenter who hosted a horror film anthology series, Chiller Theatre, on late Saturday nights in the 1960s and 70s. Cardille would later make a cameo appearance as the TV news reporter in the 1990 remake.
caption: Ben, played by Duane Jones
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