by Nathaniel R
Do you occassionally think of Hal Holbrook in Into the Wild (2007) and just tear up? It's a common completely understandable affliction! Here's another reason to tear up. The Oscar nominated and Emmy and Tony-winning actor passed away just a few weeks shy of his 96th birthday. (He actually died before Cloris Leachman and Cicely Tyson but the news has only recently arrived; we lost three beloved acting legends in just a five-day stretch). Holbrook had become a widower 11 years ago when his wife of 26 years, Dixie Carter (Designing Women) passed away.
But what a long life and enduring career this man had. Born and raised in Ohio, a project in college (still in Ohio) led him to his greatest role: Mark Twain. He first played the famous writer/wit when he was in his twenties and began developing his famous solo show Hal Holbrook: Mark Twain Tonight! by the age of 30. What's your favourite Holbrook performance? Twain and a dozen other key roles are after the jump...
"Mark Twain" in "Hal Holbrook: Mark Twain Tonight!" (1967) TONY AWARD, EMMY NOMINATION
The show that made him a star in two mediums.
"Senator Hays Stowe" in both A Clear and Present Danger (1970) and The Bold Ones: The Senator (1970) TWO EMMY NOMINATIONS, ONE EMMY WIN
The 70s were the peak years of his in stardom and it began with this character across a tv film and a limited series.
"Doug Salter" in That Certain Summer (1972) EMMY NOMINATION
Holbrook and Martin Sheen made history playing a gay couple in this early 70s TV movie. LGBTQ characters would continue to be rare for many years thereafter on television, usually resulting in controversy and problematic depictions (Dynasty, Soap) as well as advertiser boycotts (thirtysomething) whenever TV shows or movies and miniseries (Scruples, An Early Frost) dared to go there. Things only really began to swiftly change in the late 1990s.
"Lt Briggs" in Magnum Force (1973)
One of his largest film roles was as Clint Eastwood's rival in this vigilante cop drama, the sequel to Dirty Harry (1971)
"Captain Lloyd Bucher" in Pueblo (1973) EMMY AWARD
Another TV movie, this one a Cold War drama with Holbrook as a naval captain.
"Abraham Lincoln" in Lincoln (1974) EMMY AWARD
Holbrook had a huge success playing the 16th President. He was so popular in the role that he reprised it almost a dozen years later in both editions of the blockbuster North & South miniseries of the mid-80s.
"Deep Throat" in All the President's Men (1976)
His most famous film role was arguably as the shadowy informer in this journalistic classic.
"Stage Manager" in Our Town (1977) EMMY NOMINATION
Given that his initial fame came from the stage, he was a natural for this TV production of Thornton Wilder's classic play.
"Father Malone" in The Fog (1980)
All aging character actors are required to appear in at least one horror film as either a priest or a creepy old lady. It's the law. Holbrook opted for a John Carpenter picture with rising scream queens Jamie Lee Curtis and Adrienne Barbeau.
"Evan Evans" in Evening Shade (1990-1994)
This is the longest run he ever had on a TV series, playing Burt Reynolds father-in-law over 93 episodes of this sitcom.
"Ron Franz" in Into the Wild (2007) OSCAR NOMINATION
The role which modern audiences surely remember him best for. His appearance is brief but hugely impactful and he received well deserved industry accolades. At the time he broke a record to became the oldest male acting nominee of all time at 82 but he only held the record briefly (Robert Duvall and Christopher Plummer soon followed breaking his record three times over in the next dozen years)
"Abner Meecham" in That Evening Sun (2009)
His underseen follow up to his first and only Oscar nod, was a beautifully rural picture about an old man who escapes a nursing home to live out his days at his old farm. It started strong winning South by Southwest and critics raved about Holbrook's star turn but it didn't catch on with audiences.
"Preston Blair" in Lincoln (2012) SAG NOMINATION: OUTSTANDING CAST
After playing Abraham Lincoln three times from 1974 through 1987, he had his final big success as part of the ensemble of Steven Spielberg's historical epic about that man. Only this time he wasn't playing Honest Abe but the Republican politician Francis Preston Blair, attemping to broker an agreement between the Union and the Conferedacy.
What a fine character actor he was. He will be missed.