Hal Holbrook

**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 and death

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 Watching_
- Outstanding Lead Actor - Drama or Comedy Special
    - (1978) Nominated - _Our Town_
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor - Drama Series
    - (1971) Won - _The Bold Ones: The Senator_
- Outstanding 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 - _Pueblo_

## Movies

|Year|Title|Notes|
| --- | --- | --- |
|1966|_The Group_||
|1967|_Mark Twain Tonight_|TV special|
|1968|_Wild in the Streets_||
|1972|_They Only Kill Their Masters_||
|1973|_Pueblo_|TV movie|
|1973|_Jonathan Livingston Seagull_|Voice|
|1973|_Magnum Force_||
|1974|_The Girl from Petrovka_||
|1974|_Carl Sandburg's Lincoln_|TV miniseries|
|1976|_All the President's Men_||
|1976|_Midway_||
|1977|_Julia_||
|1977|_Rituals_||
|1978|_Capricorn One_||
|1978|_The Awakening Land_|TV series|
|1979|_When Hell Was in Session_|TV series|
|1979|_Murder by Natural Causes_|TV series|
|1979|_The Legend of the Golden Gun_|TV series|
|1980|_The Fog_||
|1980|_The Kidnapping of the President_||
|1981|_The Killing of Randy Webster_|TV series|
|1982|_Creepshow_||
|1983|_The Star Chamber_||
|1983|_Girls Night Out_||
|1985|_Designing Women_|TV series|
|1985|_North and South_ Part 1|TV miniseries|
|1986|Portrait of America|TV series|
|1986|_Dress Gray_|TV series|
|1986|_North and South_ Part 2|TV miniseries|
|1987|_Wall Street_||
|1988|_The Unholy_||
|1989|_Fletch Lives_||
|1990|_Evening Shade_|TV series|
|1993|_The Firm_||
|1996|_Innocent Victims_||
|1997|_Eye of God_||
|1997|_Cats Don't Dance_|Voice|
|1997|_Hercules_|Voice|
|1998|_Hush_||
|1998|_Walking to the Waterline_||
|1999|_The Bachelor_||
|2000|_Waking the Dead_||
|2000|_Men of Honor_||
|2000|_The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus_|Voice|
|2001|_The Majestic_||
|2001|_The West Wing_|TV series|
|2002|_Seventh Day_|Documentary|
|2003|_Country Music: The Spirit of America_|IMAX|
|2003|_Shade_||
|2006|_The Sopranos_|TV series|
|2006|_NCIS_|TV series|
|2007|_Into the Wild_|Nominated for an Academy Award and an Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.|
|2008|_ER_|TV series|
|2009|_That Evening Sun_||
|2010|_Sons of Anarchy_|TV series|
|2010|_The Event_|TV series|
|2011|_Water for Elephants_||
|2011|_Good Day For It_||
|2012|_Lincoln_||
|2012|_Savannah_||
|2013|_Promised Land_||
|2013|_Rectify_|TV series|
|2013|_Monday Mornings_|TV series|
|2014|_Planes 2: Fire & Rescue_|Voice|
|2015|_Go with Me_|Post-production|

## 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 _NOW_
- Biography and 2004 story about his return to Broadway from _Playbill''
- State of Mississippi Resolution

## Infobox (person)

- **image**: Hal Holbrook (45346460095).jpg
- **caption**: Holbrook in 2001
- **birthname**: Harold Rowe Holbrook
- **birth place**: Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
- **death place**: Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
- **nationality**: United States, American
- **education**: Culver Academies
- **alma mater**: Denison University
- **television**: Lincoln,
The Bold Ones: The Senator
- **notable works**: _Mark Twain Tonight_, _Creepshow_, _Into the Wild (movie), Into the Wild_, _The Fog_, _All the President's Men (movie), All the President's Men_, _Water for Elephants (movie), Water for Elephants_, _Fletch Lives_, _Magnum Force_, _The Star Chamber_, _Capricorn One_, _The Firm_, _That Evening Sun (movie), That Evening Sun_, _Lincoln (movie), Lincoln_
- **known for**: Abraham Lincoln,
Mark Twain
Deep Throat
Francis Preston Blair
- **height**: 6' 1" (1.85 m)
- **party**: Independent
- **occupation**: Actor
- **yearsactive**: 1954–2021
- **spouse**: Ruby Holbrook (m. 1945–65)
Carol Eve Rossen (m. 1966–79)
Dixie Carter (m. 1984–2010; her death)
- **children**: With Ruby:
David Holbrook,
Victoria Holbrook,
With Rossen:
Eve Holbrook
- **awards**: Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Primetime Emmy Award