Wiz and Dreamgirls' Hinton Battle dies as co-star Jennifer Hudson pays tribute

31 January 2024 , 20:11

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Jennifer Hudson paid tribute to Hinton Battle

Actor and singer Hinton Battle has died at the age of 67.

The American star was best known for his Broadway performance in The Wiz and his role in Dreamgirls. He passed away at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. His death was confirmed by his representative, who told THR that his family didn't plan to disclose his cause of death at present.

Battle was the original character of the Scarecrow in the broadway production of The Wiz in 1975. Three years later, Michael Jackson took on the role in the film adaptation three years later.

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Hinton Battle has died at the age of 67 (Getty Images AsiaPac)

He also played Wayne in the 2006 movie Dreamgirls alongside Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson, with the latter paying a sweet tribute to him following the news breaking. On X, formerly known as Twitter, she wrote: "We lost two irreplaceable Broadway icons this week. Chita Rivera and Hinton Battle ! I’ll always be grateful for their unique artistry and impact and the way our lives intersected! Rest well, legends!"

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Battle was awarded SAG and Critics' Choice nominations for his role in the flick. He had also previously won three Tony Awards in the featured actor in a musical category. His gongs were presented after his parts in 1981's film Sophisticated Ladies, The Tap Dance Kind in 1984 and Miss Saigon in 1991.

Hinton Battle as the Scarecrow (Getty Images)

Battle had an impressive CV (FilmMagic)

On the small screen, Battle also appeared on a musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 2001. He took on the role as the demon Sweet, while also providing the choreography for the episode titled Once More, With Feeling.

His choreography career also saw him work on The Golden Globe Awards, Dance in America and a number of hit sitcoms, including The Boys and Sister Sister.

He had a brief singing career, including Think We're Gonna Make It, which featured on the soundtrack for Playing for Keeps in 1986.

Jamie Roberts