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Dreamgirls star Hinton Battle dies aged 67 as Jennifer Hudson and Sarah Michelle Gellar pay tribute-Pierra Willix-Entertainment – Metro

He died in LA following a lengthy illness.

Dreamgirls star Hinton Battle dies aged 67 as Jennifer Hudson and Sarah Michelle Gellar pay tribute-Pierra Willix-Entertainment – Metro

Actor Hinton Battle has died aged 67 (Picture: Noam Galai/Getty Images)

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 the 2006 film Dreamgirls.

He passed away at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles this week, with his death confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.

His family told the publication they 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, a role that was then taken on by Michael Jackson in the 1978 film adaptation.

He then went on to star in Sophisticated Ladies (1981), The Tap Dance Kid (1984) and Miss Saigon (1991), roles which each picked him up a Tony Award, all in the category of Featured Actor in a Musical. 

He also played Wayne in the 2006 movie Dreamgirls alongside Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson, with the latter paying tribute to him following the news breaking.

His Dreamgirls co-star Jennifer Hudson has paid tribute (Picture: Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)

On X, 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!’

Born in 1956, Battle studied at the prestigious Jones Haywood School of Ballet in Washington, D.C. and the School of American Ballet in New York City before beginning his Broadway stage career in The Wiz when he was just 15.

His stage career in New York spanned three decades.

The actor, far right, played Wayne in the 2006 movie (Picture: David James/Dreamworks/Kobal)

He also served as the co-director and choreographer for Evil Dead The Musical and more recently starred in Cindy: The Musical.

Eventually making the move to TV and film, Battle also appeared in Smash, These Old Broads, Quantum Leap and Touched by an Angel.

He then played the demon Sweet in a 2001 musical episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar said she was ‘honoured’ to have worked with Battle (Picture: Sarah Michelle Gellar/ Instagram)

The performer also briefly tried his hand at a music career in the mid-1980s, with his song Think We’re Gonna Make It featuring on the soundtrack to the 1986 movie Playing for Keeps.

His lone solo album, Untapped, was released the same year.

Battle had written a children’s book and had also been working on an autobiography at the time of his death.

He is survived by sisters Eddie and Lettie Battle.

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