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Hal Holbrook

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Birthdate

1925-02-17

Day of Death

2021-01-23

Place of Birth

Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Hal Holbrook

Biography

Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. (February 17, 1925 – January 23, 2021) was an American actor, television director, and writer. He first received critical acclaim in 1954 for a one-man stage show he developed, Mark Twain Tonight!, performing as Mark Twain, while studying at Denison University. He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1966 for his portrayal of Twain. He would continue to perform his signature role for over 60 years, only retiring the show in 2017 due to his failing health. Throughout his career, he also won five Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on television and was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in film. Holbrook made his film debut in Sidney Lumet's The Group (1966). He later gained international fame for his performance as Deep Throat in the 1976 film All the President's Men. He played Abraham Lincoln in the 1976 miniseries Lincoln and 1985 miniseries North and South. He also appeared in such films as Julia (1977), The Fog (1980), Creepshow (1982), Wall Street (1987), The Firm (1993), Hercules (1997), and Men of Honor (2000). Holbrook's role as Ron Franz in Sean Penn's Into the Wild (2007) earned him both Academy Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor. In 2009, Holbrook received critical acclaim for his performance as recently retired farmer Abner Meecham in the independent film That Evening Sun. He also portrayed Francis Preston Blair in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln (2012). In 2003, Holbrook was honored with the National Humanities Medal by President George W. Bush. Description above from the Wikipedia article Hal Holbrook, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Filmography (117)

⭐ 0 Role: Self

Interpreting Twain

2018
⭐ 0 Role: Reinhold Niebuhr (voice)

An American Conscience: The Reinhold Niebuhr Story

2017
⭐ 5.3 Role: Whizzer

Blackway

2015
⭐ 6.2 Role: Mayday (voice)

Planes: Fire & Rescue

2014
⭐ 7.0 Role: Self

Holbrook/Twain: An American Odyssey

2014
⭐ 6.1 Role: Self

Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story

2013
⭐ 6.1 Role: Judge Harden

Savannah

2013
⭐ 6.8 Role: Preston Blair

Lincoln

2012
⭐ 6.3 Role: Frank Yates

Promised Land

2012
⭐ 6.9 Role: Old Jacob

Water for Elephants

2011
⭐ 5.5 Role: Hec

Good Day for It

2011
⭐ 5.6 Role: Harry Pleasant

Flying Lessons

2010
⭐ 6.7 Role: Abner Meecham

That Evening Sun

2009
⭐ 5.8 Role: Papa

Killshot

2008
⭐ 5.8 Role: Self

The Long Shadow of Dirty Harry

2008