Harold Rowe "Hal" Holbrook (February 17, 1925 – January 23, 2021) was an American movie, television, stage and voice actor. Holbrook was known to the general audience for playing famous author Mark Twain in plays or on biographical shows.

Holbrook was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He began acting in 1954. He began his Mark Twain routine, so that he can earn money.

Holbrook soon began appearing on plays. He then called his Twain show Mark Twain Tonight. He is also known for his fictional-political shows and as "Deep Throat" in All the President's Men. He also played Abraham Lincoln in several biographical television movies.

Holbrook was nominated for many awards during his career. He is the oldest actor to have nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Early life
Holbrook was born on February 17, 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio. His parents were Harold Rowe Holbrook and Aileen Davenport. His parents left him, so he and his two sisters were raised by his grandparents in South Weymouth, Massachusetts. He studied at Culver Academies and at Denison University. His acting career would begin in theater in 1954.

Career

Holbrook is known for his television roles. These include Abraham Lincoln, Hays Stone in The Bold Ones: The Senator and Capt. Lloyd Bucher in Pueblo. But he is best known as Mark Twain in comedy stage works and comedy shows. His first solo performance as Twain was at Lock Haven State Teachers College in Pennsylvania in 1954. Holbrook had to smoke for his role as Twain. He would later name that play Mark Twain Tonight. He has portrayed Twain longer than Samuel Langhorne Clemens did.

Holbrook first appeared in movies in 1966, in The Group. After this, he appeared in two more movies: Magnum Force in 1973 and All the President's Men in 1976. Later, he appeared in The Fog, Wall Street, Hercules, The Bachelor, and in Walking the Dead.

He was also known for his role in the 2007 movie Into the Wild, for which he was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Academy Award. He also appeared in Water for Elephants in 2011.

Later he has appeared as Francis Preston Blair in Steven Spielberg's movie Lincoln in 2012. He appeared during the opening ceremony of the 2013 Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Holbrook starred in the 2014 animated movie Planes 2: Fire & Rescue as a fire truck named Mayday. Holbrook is set to star in the 2015 thriller movie Go with Me along with Anthony Hopkins.

Personal life

Holbrook was married to Ruby Holbrook from 1945 until they divorced in 1965. Then he was married to Carol Eve Rossen from 1966 until they divorced in 1979. He was last married to Dixie Carter from 1984 until her death in 2010. Holbrook has two children with Ruby and one with Rossen.

Holbrook met Carter on the set of The Killing of Randy Webster in 1980. Holbrook now lives in McLemoresville, Tennessee, and in Beverly Hills, California. Holbrook has stated that he was a political independent because he votes for both Democrats and Republicans.

Holbrook died at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on January 23, 2021 at the age of 95. His death was announced more than a week later, on February 2.

Awards and nominations
Holbrook has won three Tony Awards, in 1971, 1974, and in 1976. He won a Drama Desk Award in 1989. He also won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1966. He was nominated for an Academy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2007 for his role in Into the Wild. In 2008, at age 82, he became the oldest male actor to be nominated for an Academy Award. His nomination displaced Ralph Richardson, who previously held that distinction. Here is the list of nominations or winning awards:

Academy Awards

(2008) Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role / Into the Wild

Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards

(2008) Nominated - Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor / Into the Wild

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards

(2007) Nominated - Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor / Into the Wild

Online Film Critics Society Awards

(2008) Nominated - Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor / Into the Wild

Screen Actors Guild Awards

(2008) Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role - Motion Picture / Into the Wild

Primetime Emmy Awards

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor - Miniseries or a Movie-
(1967) Nominated - Mark Twain Tonight!
(1971) Nominated - A Clear and Present Danger
(1973) Nominated - That Certain Summer
(1974) Won - Pueblo
(1976) Won - Sandburg's Lincoln
(1978) Nominated - The Awakening Land
(1969) Nominated - 'The Whole World is WatchingOutstanding Lead Actor - Drama or Comedy Special
(1978) Nominated - Our TownPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor - Drama Series
(1971) Won - The Bold Ones: The SenatorOutstanding Informational Series
(1988) Nominated - Portrait of America (segment: New York City)
Outstanding Performance in Informational Programing
(1989) Won - Portrait of America (segment: Alaska)
Primetime Emmy Award for Actor of the Year (Retired category)
(1974) Won - PuebloMovies

References

For more information
Holbrook, Hal. (1959). Mark Twain Tonight! An Actor's Portrait. New York: Ives Washburn.
Young, Jordan R. (1989). Acting Solo: The Art of One-Person Shows. Beverly Hills: Past Times Publishing Co.

Other websites

The Seventh Day, a 2002 5-DVD set documentary on the history of the Sabbath. Produced by LLT Productions.
2004 Story on Holbrook from NOWBiography and 2004 story about his return to Broadway from Playbill''
State of Mississippi Resolution

1925 births
2021 deaths
Actors from Cleveland, Ohio
Actors from Massachusetts
American Christians
American historians
American movie actors
American musical theatre actors
American stage actors
American television actors
American voice actors
Stage names
Drama Desk Award winners
Emmy Award winning actors
Independent (United States)
Television personalities from Ohio
Tony Award winning actors