While George A. Romero would become a legend for directing zombie classics, he got his career started on the set of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Although Romero passed away in 2017 at the age of 77, his influence on the horror genre and the art of independent filmmaking as a whole will continue to be felt for generations to come. With 1968’s Night of the Living Dead, Romero essentially invented the zombie genre as we know it today, and established tropes that are still in use by current zombie success stories like The Walking Dead.
Following Night, Romero would go on to direct five more zombie films, the most famous being 1979’s Dawn of the Dead and 1985’s Day of the Dead. While undead flesheaters were Romero’s biggest claim to fame, his other films also shouldn’t be overlooked, especially 1982 anthology Creepshow, which he directed from a script written by iconic author Stephen King. Romero’s films also gave a start to many prominent horror figures both in front of and behind the camera, such as Ken Foree, Tom Savini, and Greg Nicotero.
However, while Night of the Living Dead made Romero a big name - although it didn’t make him rich, thanks to a copyright error that sent it to the public domain - it wasn’t the start to his filmmaking career. Romero had been directing short films and commercial films since the early 1960s, and one of his earliest jobs came courtesy of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
George A. Romero Got His Start On Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
The subject of both the hit 2018 documentary film Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and the 2019 Tom Hanks-fronted biopic A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, legendary children’s show host Fred Rogers is almost viewed as a modern day saint by some. While it’s unlikely Rogers, a famously humble man, would’ve ever suggested he was a perfect person, he did dedicate his life to teaching and nurturing children, and extolling the virtues of kindness, compassion, and empathy to the masses.
It’s no surprise that George Romero had nothing bad to say about his time in Rogers’ orbit. Romero was hired to direct several short film segments for use on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, not long after he graduated from college. It provided Romero vital professional experience, and the two remained friendly as Romero found success, with Rogers even coming to see Romero’s zombie films as a show of support. It’s hard to imagine such a gentle man enjoying Dawn of the Dead, but Romero once said Rogers expressed admiration for the film. George A. Romero himself earned a reputation for being exceedingly kind and welcoming to his fans at conventions and other events, and after spending his younger days around Mr. Rogers, it’s no wonder he ended up so nice.
More: Won’t You Be My Neighbor? 10 Beautiful Life Lessons From Mr. Rogers
