Anthony Dileo Jr. obit

Horror Movie Actor Dies of COVID-19: Anthony Dileo Jr. Was 68

The actor played Miguel Salazar in George A. Romero’s 1985 classic Day of the Dead. 

He was not on the list.

Anthony DiLeo Jr., who starred in George A. Romero’s 1985 zombie classic Day of the Dead and its 1990 remake Night of the Living Dead, has died. The horror legend, sometimes credited as Tim DiLeo or Antone DiLeo, passed away on Friday, Feb. 7 due to complications from Covid-19, his Day of the Dead co-star Lori Cardille confirmed. He was 68.

“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,” Cardille, who starred as Doctor Sarah Bowman in the horror movie, wrote on Facebook. “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 frequently collaborated with Romero throughout his career and is best remembered for his starring role as Miguel Salazar in the director’s iconic cult classic post-apocalyptic zombie horror film Day of the Dead. In the film, DiLeo’s character, a member of Colonel Rhodes’s troop, suffers a mental breakdown and opens the gates to the underground bunker where he and several others are hiding out, allowing the living dead in.

DiLeo returned to the franchise just five years later for Tom Savini‘s 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead, which Romero produced. The actor portrayed one of the zombies and also worked as a production assistant, per his IMDb profile.

Outside of his work in Day of the Dead and Night of the Living Dead, DiLeo appeared in numerous other films throughout his career. He made his acting debut in Romero’s 1981 action drama Knightriders, and went on to work with the director in his 1988 American science fiction psychological horror film Monkey Shines. He also appeared in Romero’s segment of the anthology Two Evil Eyes. His other credits include Passed Away (1992), Bob Roberts (1992), Lorenzo’s Oil (1992), and Only You (1994), which marked his final role.

News of DiLeo’s passing sparked a wave of tributes, one person writing on X, “rest in power to a true horror legend… he fought the undead on screen so we could live our darkest dreams. day of the dead will always be immortal.” Another person wrote, “Such a shame. He gave such an impassioned performance in this movie. Rest In Peace.”

Actor

Robert Downey Jr. and Marisa Tomei in Only You (1994)

Only You

6.5

Taxi Driver (as Antone Di Leo)

1994

 

Susan Sarandon, Nick Nolte, and Zack O'Malley Greenburg in Lorenzo's Oil (1992)

Lorenzo's Oil

7.3

Conference Parent (as Anthony Dileo)

1992

 

Tim Robbins in Bob Roberts (1992)

Bob Roberts

7.0

New York Reporter

1992

 

Tim Curry, Bob Hoskins, Teri Polo, Nancy Travis, Blair Brown, Diana Bellamy, Pamela Reed, Peter Riegert, and Maureen Stapleton in Passed Away (1992)

Passed Away

5.7

Enrique (as Antone DiLeo)

1992

 

Night of the Living Dead (1990)

Night of the Living Dead

6.8

Knife Zombie (uncredited)

1990

 

Two Evil Eyes (1990)

Two Evil Eyes

6.1

Taxi Driver (segment "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar")

1990

 

Monkey Shines (1988)

Monkey Shines

6.2

Vandal (as Tim DiLeo)

1988

 

John Paul in Day of the Dead (1985)

Day of the Dead

7.1

Pvt. Miguel Salazar (as Antonè DiLeo)

1985

 

Knightriders (1981)

Knightriders

6.3

Corncook (as Tim DiLeo)

1981

 

Additional Crew

Night of the Living Dead (1990)

Night of the Living Dead

6.8

production assistant

1990

 

Self

The World's End: The Making of 'Day of the Dead' (2013)

The World's End: The Making of 'Day of the Dead'

7.7

Video

Self (as Anthony DiLeo)

2013

 

Archive Footage

Matt Sloan and Craig Johnson in Welcome to the Basement (2012)

Welcome to the Basement

7.9

TV Series

Miguel (archive footage)

2015

1 episode

 

Gabriel Fernández-Gil, Juan Pérez, David Díaz, Luis Rodrigo, FJ García, Iñaki Reyna, Alvar Gordejuela, and Jon Koldo Etxebarria in Special Collector's Edition (2010)

Special Collector's Edition

7.0

TV Series

Pvt. Miguel Salazar (archive footage, uncredited)

2010

1 episode

 

Scream Greats, Volume I: Tom Savini (1986)

Scream Greats, Volume I: Tom Savini

7.7

Video

Miguel (archive footage)

1986