Original Dawn of the Dead Star David Emge Dies at 77

David Emge, the actor best known for his role in George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, passed away on Saturday, January 20. He was 77 years old. Emge’s death was announced by his family via their local newspaper, the Evansville Courier & Press. Emge, who played helicopter pilot Stephen “Flyboy” Andrews in the 1978 horror classic, only appeared in a handful of movies over his 16-year screen career, with other standouts being 1990’s Basket Case 2. Like so many horror movie stars, he also spent years of his life on the convention circuit, where he was a fan favorite.

Emge was born on September 9, 1946 in Evansville, IL. After high school, Emge studied drama at the University of Evansville. He was drafted and served in the Vietnam War before returning to the U.S. and launching his acting career on stage at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in 1971.

Shortly after that, he appeared in the comedy The Booby Hatch. He moved to Washington, DC, where he performed in dinner theatre before moving to New York in 1976. It was there he met and impressed Romero, and landed himself a role in Dawn of the Dead.

While Flyboy managed to avoid being infected for most of the movie, the eventual shot of Emge transformed into a bloody zombie was used in promotional material for the film, becoming one of its most striking and recognizable images.

“I would stare at the image of David Emge’s zombified flyboy character,” Shaun of the Dead‘s Simon Pegg wrote in his 2011 memoir Nerd Do Well (via Deadline). “The film became something of an obsession for me.”

Emge is survived by his three sisters, as well as a number of nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. His family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mater Dei High School, 1300 Harmony Way, Evansville, IN 47720.

Our condolences go out to Emge’s family, friends, collaborators, and fans.