R.I.P.: Day of the Dead’s Anthony Dileo Jr. has passed away

Sad news made its way online over the weekend, as Lori Cardille, the star of writer/director George A. Romero’s 1985 zombie classic Day of the Dead, took to social media to confirm that her co-star Anthony Dileo Jr., known to his friends as Tim, passed away on Friday night. In Day of the Dead, Dileo played the character Miguel Salazar, who has a mental breakdown as the story plays out and, in the end, opens the gates to the underground bunker he and the other characters have been hiding out in, allowing the living dead to feast on fresh meat.

On Saturday, Cardille wrote, “It is with great sadness that I let you all know that my dear friend and colleague Anthony Dileo passed away last night from Covid. Tim was filled with love for nature, his beloved animals, family and friends and fans. He made me laugh every day while making Day of the Dead. Tim was an accomplished pianist with a beautiful voice. I will miss you Tim. My heart is broken. I love you friend.“

Dileo only had a handful of screen acting credits, most of which came in Romero productions. He made his screen debut in Romero’s 1981 film Knightriders, and followed that up with appearances in Monkey Shines, Romero’s segment of the anthology Two Evil Eyes, the 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead (where he was one of the zombies), and, of course, Day of the Dead. His non-Romero credits came on Charlie Peters’ dark comedy Passed Away, Tim Robbins’ satire Bob Roberts, the George Miller drama Lorenzo’s Oil, and the Norman Jewison romantic comedy Only You.

He’s best remembered for his work on Day of the Dead, which gave him, by far, the most prominent role in his career, and he did a great job playing the gradually crumbling, high-strung Miguel Salazar. Unfortunately, we have lost many people who were part of the Day of the Dead production over the years, including Romero himself, editor Pasquale Buba, production designer Cletus Anderson, and Dileo’s co-stars Joe Pilato, Richard Liberty, Gary Klar, Ralph Marrero, and Phillip G. Kellams.

Our sincere condolences go out to Anthony Dileo Jr.’s family, friends, and fans.