Emmy-winning soap director Heather Hill dies at 85

Heather Hill, six-time Emmy winner, directed hundreds of episodes of young and restless and other iconic soap operas

Heather Hill, an Emmy Award-winning television director best known for her extensive work on CBS’s The Young and the Restless, died on October 10 in Las Vegas. She was 85. Hill’s death was confirmed by her family.

A trailblazer for women in daytime television, Hill had a decades-long career directing some of the most well-known soap operas on American television. Born and raised in New York City, she graduated from Rye Country Day School before starting her television career as a production assistant on Love of Life, a CBS soap that aired from the 1950s through the 1980s.

Hill’s early years in New York saw her steadily rise through the production ranks. She served as an assistant director and later directed episodes for several prominent soaps, including Search for Tomorrow, As the World Turns, and Love Is a Many Splendored Thing.

In 1985, Hill moved to Los Angeles and became a contract director for The Young and the Restless, where she spent the next 15 years directing hundreds of episodes. Her work earned her significant recognition in the industry. Between 1988 and 2000, she received 13 Daytime Emmy nominations in the category of Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team, winning six times. Her first Emmy win was shared with fellow directors Rudy Vejar, Frank Pacelli, Randy Robbins, and Betty Rothenberg.

Beyond her work in soaps, Hill also contributed to other television programs. Her directing credits include the long-running medical drama General Hospital and the globally popular lifeguard series Baywatch. She also held a supervising producer credit on The Caitlins, a daytime soap that aired in the 1980s.

Hill is survived by her husband, Randy; two sons, Tim and Chris; her daughter-in-law Debbie Deuble Hill; and three grandchildren, Violet, Quinn, and Carter.