Hal Holbrook

Hal Holbrook
Holbrook in 1977
Born
Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr.

(1925-02-17)February 17, 1925
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
DiedJanuary 23, 2021(2021-01-23) (aged 95)
Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Resting placeMcLemoresville Cemetery, Tennessee
EducationCulver Military Academy
Denison University
HB Studio
OccupationActor
Years active1948–2017
Spouses
Ruby Elaine Johnston
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(m. 1945; div. 1965)​
Carol Eve Rossen
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(m. 1966; div. 1983)​
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(m. 1984; died 2010)​
AwardsSee Awards and nominations
Military career
Allegiance United States
Service / branch United States Army
Years of service1942–46
Rank Staff sergeant
Battles / warsWorld War II

Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. (February 17, 1925 – January 23, 2021) was an American actor. He first received critical acclaim in 1954 for a one-man stage show that he developed called Mark Twain Tonight! while studying at Denison University. He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1966 for his portrayal of Twain.[1] He continued 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.[2]

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 1974 miniseries Lincoln and 1985 miniseries North and South. He also appeared in such films as Julia and Capricorn One (1977), The Fog (1980), Creepshow (1982), Wall Street (1987), The Firm (1993), Hercules (1997), and Men of Honor (2000).[3][4]

Holbrook's role as Ron Franz in Sean Penn's Into the Wild (2007) earned him both an Academy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.[1] In 2009, he received critical acclaim for his performance as recently retired farmer Abner Meecham in the independent film That Evening Sun.[5] He also portrayed Francis Preston Blair in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln (2012).[6][7]

In 2003, Holbrook was honored with the National Humanities Medal by President George W. Bush.[8]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Oscar was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Awards was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference biography was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Hal Holbrook Filmography". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 9, 1997. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Evening was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference epic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "First-Look Photo: Anthony Hopkins in 'Go With Me' – Berlin". Yahoo! TV. February 6, 2015. Archived from the original on February 9, 2015. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference NEH was invoked but never defined (see the help page).