Hal Holbrook (1925-2021)
Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 10:01PM 
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.
Reader Comments (20)
(Finally!) Farewell to a consummate professional and great talent, loved and respected by (after his treatment here i must say) most critics and filmgoers alike.
He became the oldest Supporting Actor nominee, not oldest nominee. Gloria Stuart held that record at the age of 87. Now it's Plummer at 88.
Seems a little glib coming from Nathaniel, but i'll take any acknowledgement and memorial of this legend at this point over radio silence. Rest well.
Cece very funny. It's a bit of an inside joke around these parts that if you want to know if an actor is due for an honorary or lifetime achievement award you ask yourself if they would get a Nathanial or Claudio In Memorial piece. If Nathaniel, they can wait. If Claudio, get the statue in their hands ASAP! Anyway thanks for the levity.
Holbrook would have been a deserving winner over Bardem. It's a, pardon the pun, coin toss for me friendo. I do love the shorter and impressive supporting bids though. Vale to an actor who always improved a project.
"...surely remember HIM best for"
I didn't understand the lead so I didn't care for "Into the Wild" but his scene was extremely touching and I totally have that reaction described in the article. Javier Bardem was between him and Triple Crown of Acting...
I also happen to think that he should have been at least nominated for "All the President's Men".
Long and eventful life. [*]
I think he quietly made it to Claudio Calibre(hashtag, trademark, etc), but still great to see him remembered here. Was scared with the wait that you'd just dump the news with the links.
I can honestly say I never saw him give a bad performance. It was always a little bit of a thrill to see his name turn up in the credit roll and know that for certain parts of whatever he was in you'd be hearing that wonderfully distinctive voice and be guaranteed at least one terrific performance. Although either through being selective (hard to believe with his number of credits) or respected reputation his sheet doesn't have much that could be considered outright junk.
He played so many great parts but choosing a favorite is not difficult in the least. It's his performance as Deep Throat in All the President's Men. He's so perfect in the role playing it with just the right degree of cool detachment and a slight ominous air. It not that the movie would fail without him, it's too strong in every other aspect for that, but his contribution makes it stronger. How the hell he wasn't nominated for a supporting award I'll never understand. Another example of always being so good that you're taken for granted.
After that performance it's harder to rank favorites though his Mark Twain stands very tall.
I suppose it's really his television work I recall more, especially his work in various miniseries that allowed a full display of his gifts. His portrait of Lincoln is great, if you can find it. He was a very fine John Adams in the "George Washington" mini. Also his strong showing in as Elizabeth Montgomery's scholarly husband Portius in The Awakening Land.
A tremendous talent that will be missed. What a wretched week for the performance community!
Dude was one of the best. Always brought it and carried an air of gravitas not seen often in films. I think I saw Our Town when I was a junior in high school. I didn't like it except for Holbrook as I would've preferred just watching him. My English teacher at that time agreed with me.
I also remembered him in Carried Away as he was the guy that discovered Dennis Hopper's affair with Amy Locane as he doesn't confront him but definitely gave him a nice, subtle scolding about the shit Hopper is getting into.
Thank you Hal.
Also want to add his supporting work on "Designing Women ". I loved watching him on that and "Evening Shade" growing up.
Not as memorable as some of the others, but my first Holbrook was in Creepshow (also featuring early stardom roles from Ed Harris, Ted Danson, and Leslie Nielsen), where he played the mousy husband to Adrienne Barbeau, whom he eventually feeds to the monster living in the school basement. Creepy and effective! RIP
Love him in "The Fog"... such an underrated film, by the way.
I primarily knew him from Into the Wild, but I adored that lovely performance. He had a lucky life to have been able to create such a varied path.
My fist movie memory of Hal is John Carpenter's The Fog but he's at his very best in Into The Wild and All the President's Men.
Nathaniel, this is a lovely tribute to a great actor. My favorite performance of his is probably his short, but impactful, turn as Deep Throat. However, I don't recall ever seeing a bad performance delivered by Holbrook.
Marta & Monty -- Please don't compare writers. I appreciate your praise, but this is not nice, and, speaking only for myself, it leaves me extremely uncomfortable. Also, you do realize I've only written two In Memorian pieces in The Film Experience, for Chadwick Boseman and Cicely Tyson. Nathaniel takes care of most of these write-ups and he does a wonderful job.
Hal Holbrook, Cloris Leachman, and Cicely Tyson all won Emmys at the 1974 ceremony.
Beautiful piece Nathaniel, thank you.
And for the "late" and writing comparisons comments, paraphrasing Erica Albright: "You write your snide bullshit from a dark room because that's what the angry do nowadays. Nathaniel and his collaborators are nice to you, don't torture them for it."
Always a great actor, never a weak performance.
As a kid, I made a reel-to-reel audiotape of "Mark Twain Tonight!" when it aired on TV in the sixties. (I used to photograph the screen with film cameras too - this was a pre-VHS world, it was the only way to have any kind of recording!)
And I'd like to put in a good word of that 1977 TV adaptation of "Our Town". Robby Benson and Glynis O'Connor are adorable as George and Emily, and the reconceiving of the play as a TV documentary - Holbrook doesn't play the Stage Manager, he plays the Anchorman - works surprisingly well.
Holbrook was a fine actor- it took a lot of guts to play the gay lead in "That Certain Summer" in 1972,
Watched him in "Capricorn One" last night on HBO MAX, with a stacked 70s cast. James Brolin, Brenda Vaccaro, O J Simpson, Robert Walden, Sam Waterston.
He was terrific in the earnest yet manipulative Government agent trying to keep the Space Race alive.
I hope his legend keeps alive for generations. He deserved the academy award over Bardem. I really wanted him to get oscar love again with That evening sun. He should have had triple crown of acting.