Hal Holbrook

**Harold Rowe "Hal" Holbrook** (February 17, 1925 &ndash; 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.

## 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:

, November 2003]]

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
## 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 *NOW*
*Biography and 2004 story about his return to Broadway from *Playbill''
*State of Mississippi Resolution