Born in Montreal, Quebec and raised primarily in Kingston, Ontario, Hewgill joined the Stratford Festival in 1954. Roles he played at Stratford over the course of his career included Antonio in The Merchant of Venice, Uncle Ben in Death of a Salesman, Ferdinand in The Duchess of Malfi, Jaques in As You Like It, Cornwall in King Lear and Creon in Oedipus Rex. His roles for other theatres included Phil Hogan in A Moon for the Misbegotten, Relling in The Wild Duck, Dr