“Man looks in the abyss, there’s nothing staring back at him. At that moment, man finds his character. And that is what keeps him out of the abyss.”
– Hal Holbrook as Lou Mannheim in the 1987 film Wall Street
Hal Holbrook was an actor, director, and writer who found his character throughout his decades-long career in TV, movies, and on the stage.
Hal Holbrook is most known for playing Mark Twain in Mark Twain Tonight! His role as the classic American writer, which he performed on-stage and on-screen, earned him a Tony Award in 1966 for Best Actor and a Primetime Emmy.
Before its Broadway and primetime TV debut, Mark Twain Tonight! had humble beginnings in school auditoriums across the country.
Hal Holbrook’s spouse Ruby Johnson Holbrook collaborated with him on a two-person show where they played Mark Twain and other historical figures including Shakespeare. For several years after their college graduation, Hal Holbrook and his first spouse traveled thousands of miles by station wagon to perform in school assemblies across the Southwest.
After the birth of their first daughter, Holbrook created the one-man show Mark Twain Tonight! and continued to travel to perform. In the 1950s, during a stint at a New York City nightclub, Ed Sullivan discovered Holbrook, bringing him onto his show where he gained national exposure.
Holbrook ended up embodying Mark Twain for 63 years, taking his one-man show on the road until 2017. Upon the announcement of his retirement from the show, HuffPost wrote that Holbrook “has done more to keep Mark Twain on people’s minds than anyone else.”
In 2003, former President George W. Bush awarded Holbrook with the National Humanities Medal for his role as Mark Twain. The annual award honors those whose work “deepened the nation’s understanding of the humanities and broadened our citizens’ engagement with history, literature, languages, philosophy, and other humanities subjects.”
In the award announcement, Holbrook was quoted to say:
“This is a relationship that developed as my life developed…This voice that I have been given is so powerful I can express my deepest convictions in his words and thoughts, far ahead of anything I could come up with.”
Despite the depth of his performance as Mark Twain, Holbrook played many notable characters throughout his acting career, starring in hundreds of movies and TV show episodes.
A few of his most notable roles include Abe Lincoln in the 1976 TV miniseries Lincoln, Commander Joseph Rochefort in the 1976 film Midway, Deep Throat in the 1976 film All The President’s Men, Lou Mannheim in the 1987 movie Wall Street, and Father Malone in The Fog. Holbrook didn’t always keep it serious––in 1997, he voiced Amphitryon, Hercules’ adoptive father, in the Disney movie Hercules.
In 2007, Holbrook received an Academy Award nomination for his role as Ron Franz in Sean Penn’s Into the Wild (one of 20 road trip movies to quench your wanderlust).
Hal Holbrook is a truly unforgettable Hollywood actor. His work touched many, including Hollywood celebs who worked with him and fans who experienced his performances:
Actress Goldie Hawn, who starred alongside Hal Holbrook in The Girl from Petrovka:
Paying homage to Hal Holbrook, one our our great actors and for me personally the most wonderful, kind and generous co-star. Rest up Hal, you have some good work to do in heaven. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/RsgmyrsNIJ
— Goldie Hawn (@goldiehawn) February 2, 2021
Horror film director John Carpenter:
Hal Holbrook was a gentleman and a very fine actor. I really enjoyed directing and playing a scene opposite him. I’m going to miss him.
— John Carpenter (@TheHorrorMaster) February 3, 2021
Writer and director Edgar Wright:
Rest well Father Malone. The estimable Hal Holbrook has passed away, but what work he leaves behind. Loved his performances in The Fog, All The President’s Men, Magnum Force, Creepshow, Capricorn One, The Star Chamber, Wild In The Streets & Into The Wild, among many many others. pic.twitter.com/Vwfw1eGvJI
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) February 2, 2021
CNN anchor Jake Tapper:
RIP Hal Holbrook, deliverer of one of the best and most potent lines in any American movie ever pic.twitter.com/LbzbBUJGFS
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 2, 2021
Actress and writer Yvette Nicole Brown:
#AllThePresidentsMen is one of my favorite films (and necessary viewing yearly with our current political climate). #HalHolbrook was one of the reasons it was so wonderful. We’re losing so many legends back to back.
Too many. #RIPHalHolbrook https://t.co/L5kuo0G7iZ
— yvette nicole brown (@YNB) February 2, 2021
Feature film editor Vashi Nedomansky:
Hal Holbrook elevated everything…#RIP pic.twitter.com/4jaYW7NFBe
— Vashi Nedomansky, ACE (@vashikoo) February 2, 2021
Michael McKean, a fan who witnessed him perform Mark Twain Tonight!:
I saw Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain twice, fifty years apart. He did a ton of work over the years, never less than first-rate, but the Twain performances approached perfection, and they will stay with me forever. RIP.
— Michael McKean (@MJMcKean) February 2, 2021
Lucky for us, his work lives on through the movies and TV shows that you can watch now online. Celebrate the life of Hal Holbrook by watching All The President’s Men on HBO Max, Hercules on Disney+, or Into the Wild on Netflix.
You know Hollywood is deeper than celeb gossip, flashy movie trailers, and red carpet appearances. So why is that all we see when scrolling our screens? We’re here to share the good in Hollywood, and want you to be a part of it, too. Our new app (coming soon!) gives you a fast and easy way to buy movie tickets so you can support the filmmakers and actors who wouldn’t exist without fans like you. Follow us on Instagram for more *good* Hollywood news.
FYI, this post contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small percentage on any items you buy through the links we share with you. This helps us bring you interesting content we think you’ll care about.
