Thomas Hill, an actor and director known for character roles, portrayed Owen Lars in the Star Wars radio drama produced by NPR. His co-star in this production was his spouse, Anne Gerety, who took on the role of Beru Lars.
Hill, born in India to parents serving as missionaries, relocated to Indiana when he was thirteen years old. He embarked on an acting career during the 1950s. By the latter part of the 1960s, he and Anne Gerety were jointly directing the American Theatre Company, a performance group situated at Portland State University in Oregon. The Kent State shootings in 1970 motivated the couple to create more politically charged, anti-war theatrical works. Seeking greater autonomy, they departed from the university to establish a new theatrical enterprise called the Storefront Actors' Theatre. The Storefront Actors' Theatre consistently produced unconventional and experimental shows for two decades. Simultaneously, Hill maintained his acting career, taking on numerous characters in theaters across the nation.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Thomas Hill secured several movie roles, most notably as Mr. Koreander, the aged shopkeeper, in The Neverending Story. He also had a recurring part in the Newhart TV series and made appearances in other television programs. In 1981, he and his wife were chosen to play Owen and Beru in the Star Wars radio adaptation. After having five sons together, they later divorced. Hill spent his retirement in Indiana, where he passed away from a heart attack in 2009.