Hal Holbrook

Hal Holbrook

  • Highest Rated: 93% All the President's Men (1976)
  • Lowest Rated: 9% The Bachelor (1999)
  • Birthday: Feb 17, 1925
  • Birthplace: Not Available

  • American actor Hal Holbrook broke into performing as a monologist at various esoteric nightspots in San Francisco and Greenwich Village. Holbrook worked on stage in the early 1950s and appeared on the CBS TV soap opera The Brighter Day. He might have spent the rest of his career as a talented but unremarkable performer had Holbrook not decided to bank upon his lifelong fascination with humorist Mark Twain. Donning elaborate Twain makeup and costume and memorizing several hours' worth of the writer's material, Holbrook put together a one man show, Mark Twain Tonight. After touring in small towns, Holbrook brought Mark Twain to an off-Broadway theater, scoring an immediate hit which led to some 2000 subsequent appearances as Twain (one of these in a 1967 CBS one-hour special) and a top-selling record album. The fame attending Mark Twain Tonight enabled Holbrook to flourish as a starring actor in numerous non-Twain projects. Among Holbrook's films are The Group (1966), Wild in the Streets (1968), Magnum Force (1973), The Star Chamber (1987), Wall Street (1987) and The Firm (1993); in 1976 the actor portrayed the shadowy amalgam character "Deep Throat" in All the President's Men. Holbrook has also stayed busy in TV, starring on the weekly series The Senator (1970) and appearing several times as Abraham Lincoln in various network specials. A multi-Emmy winner, Hal Holbrook spent much of the late 1980s and early 1990s appearing as a regular cast member on the CBS sitcoms Designing Women (from 1986 to 1989, alongside real-life wife Dixie Carter) and Evening Shade (1990-94) in the role of Burt Reynolds' father, Evan Evans. Holbrook's big-screen activity also crescendoed during the 1990s and early 2000s; among many other assignments, he resumed his frequent typecast as a shady businessman with a deceptively paternal exterior in Sydney Pollack's blockbuster Grisham thriller The Firm (1993), provided an animated voice for the children's fantasy Cats Don't Dance (1997), and nastily evoked the prejudices of a bigoted commanding naval officer named Mr. Pappy in the military drama Men of Honor (2000). Holbrook also drew on his vast knowledge of Mark Twain as one of the participants in the epic-length documentary Ken Burns' Mark Twain (2001). The distinguished thespian received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his work in Sean Penn's critically-acclaimed drama Into the Wild (2007). He starred in the 2009 drama That Evening Sun, and had a major part in the 2011 adaptation of the novel Water for Elephants. In 2012 Steven Spielberg cast him in his long-gestating biopic Lincoln.

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Highest Rated Movies

Filmography

Movies

Rating

Title

Credit

Box
Office

Year

20% Blackway Whizzer $17K 2016
43% Planes: Fire And Rescue Mayday $42.7M 2014
No Score Yet Holbrook/Twain: An American Odyssey Actor — 2014
13% Savannah Judge Harden $26.2K 2013
52% Promised Land Frank Yates $7.7M 2013
No Score Yet Flying Lessons Actor — 2012
89% Lincoln Preston Blair $129.5M 2012
60% Water for Elephants Old Jacob $58.8M 2011
No Score Yet Good Day for It HEC — 2010
No Score Yet Flying Lessons Harry Pleasant — 2010
81% That Evening Sun Abner Meecham $84.3K 2009
No Score Yet Inventing LA: The Chandlers and Their Times Harrison Gray Otis — 2009
83% Into the Wild Ron Franz $18.2M 2007
No Score Yet Silent Wings: The American Glider Pilots of WWII Narrator — 2007
No Score Yet Butch Cassidy and the Outlaw Trail Narrator — 2003
67% Shade The Professor — 2003
No Score Yet Purpose Tom — 2002
No Score Yet Sacred Stone: Temple on the Mississippi Actor — 2002
42% The Majestic Congressman Doyle — 2001
No Score Yet Valor: Incredible Stories of Patriotism and Courage Narrator — 2001
No Score Yet Haven Harold L. Ickes — 2001
No Score Yet Legend of the Three Trees Narrator — 2001
42% Men of Honor Mr. Pappy — 2000
51% Waking the Dead Isaac — 2000
No Score Yet The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus Ak — 2000
No Score Yet Trail of Hope: The Story of the Mormon Trail Narrator — 2000
9% The Bachelor O'Dell — 1999
No Score Yet The Florentine Smitty — 1999
No Score Yet Beauty Alexander Miller — 1998
No Score Yet Rusty: A Dog's Tale Boyd Callahan — 1998
43% Judas Kiss Senator Rupert Hornbeck — 1998
13% Hush Dr. Hill — 1998
No Score Yet My Own Country Lloyd Flanders — 1998
No Score Yet Ken Follett's 'The Third Twin' Pete — 1997
No Score Yet Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery Narrator — 1997
75% Eye of God Sheriff Sam Rogers — 1997
No Score Yet All the Winters That Have Been Uncle Ren — 1997
No Score Yet Operation Delta Force Henshaw — 1997
74% Cats Don't Dance Cranston — 1997
No Score Yet Trail of Hope: The Story of the Mormon Trail Actor — 1997
64% Carried Away Dr. Evans — 1996
No Score Yet Innocent Victims Bob Hennis — 1996
No Score Yet Perry Mason: The Case of the Jealous Jokester Wild Bill McKenzie — 1995
No Score Yet Stormchasers Narrator — 1995
No Score Yet American Experience Actor — 1995
No Score Yet Perry Mason: The Case of the Grimacing Governor `Wild Bill' McKenzie — 1994
No Score Yet Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle `Wild Bill' McKenzie — 1994
75% The Firm Oliver Lambert — 1993
No Score Yet Bonds of Love Jim Smith — 1993
No Score Yet NOVA Narrator — 1993
No Score Yet The Secrets of Dick Smith Actor — 1991
37% Fletch Lives Hamilton "Ham" Johnson — 1989
No Score Yet Day One Gen. George Marshall — 1989
No Score Yet Sorry, Wrong Number Jim Coltrane — 1989
33% The Unholy Archbishop Mosely — 1988
78% Wall Street Lou Mannheim — 1987
No Score Yet Behind Enemy Lines Col. Calvin Turner — 1987
No Score Yet Dress Gray General Charles Hedges — 1986
No Score Yet Celebrity DA Calvin Sledge — 1985
No Score Yet George Washington John Adams — 1984
71% The Star Chamber Judge Benjamin Caulfield — 1983
No Score Yet Girls Nite Out Actor — 1983
73% Creepshow Henry Northrup — 1982
No Score Yet Warlords: The Generals Actor — 1981
No Score Yet The Killing of Randy Webster Actor — 1981
No Score Yet El Secuestro del Presidente President Adam Scott — 1980
76% The Fog Father Malone — 1980
No Score Yet When Hell Was in Session Cmdr. Jeremiah A. Denton — 1979
No Score Yet Natural Enemies Paul Steward — 1979
No Score Yet Murder by Natural Causes Arthur Sinclair — 1979
62% Capricorn One Dr. James Kelloway — 1978
No Score Yet Awakening Land Portius Luckett — 1978
73% Julia Alan Campbell — 1977
No Score Yet Rituals Harry — 1977
No Score Yet Our Town Stage Manager — 1977
50% Midway Cmdr. Joseph Rochefort — 1976
No Score Yet All Over Actor — 1976
93% All the President's Men Deep Throat — 1976
No Score Yet The Girl from Petrovka Joe — 1974
9% Jonathan Livingston Seagull The Elder — 1973
82% Magnum Force Lt. Neil Briggs — 1973
No Score Yet They Only Kill Their Masters Dr. Warren Watkins, DVM — 1972
43% The Great White Hope Cameron — 1970
No Score Yet The People Next Door David Hoffman — 1970
61% Wild in the Streets Senator Fergus — 1968
No Score Yet Mark Twain Tonight Actor — 1967
60% The Group Gus Leroy — 1966

TV

Rating

Title

Credit

Year

No Score Yet Designing Women
1986-1993
Director Reese Reese Watson
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 1990
  • 1989
  • 1988
  • 1987
  • 1986
90% Bones
2005-2017
Red Hudmore
  • 2017
81% Grey's Anatomy
2005
Lewis Clatch
  • 2017
No Score Yet Hawaii Five-0
2010
Leonard Patterson
  • 2017
95% Rectify
2013-2016
Rutherford Gaines
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013
52% Monday Mornings
2013
Dr. Arvin Wayne
  • 2013
88% Sons of Anarchy
2008-2014
Nate Madoc
  • 2011
  • 2010
67% The Event
2010-2011
James Dempsey Dempsey
  • 2011
  • 2010
No Score Yet ER
1994-2009
Walter Perkins
  • 2008
No Score Yet NCIS
2003
Mickey Stokes
  • 2006
92% The Sopranos
1999-2007
John
  • 2006
No Score Yet Hope & Faith
2003-2006
Edward Shanowski
  • 2005
No Score Yet Becker
1998-2004
Mr. Humphries
  • 2002
75% The West Wing
1999-2006
Albie Duncan
  • 2002
  • 2001
  • 2000
No Score Yet Family Law
1999-2002
Judge Richard Lloyd
  • 2000
No Score Yet The Outer Limits
1995-2002
Harbison
  • 2000
No Score Yet American Experience
1988
Narrator
  • 1996
No Score Yet Evening Shade
1990-1994
Evan Evans
  • 1994
  • 1993
  • 1992
  • 1991
  • 1990
No Score Yet NOVA
1974
Voice
  • 1993
  • 1992

QUOTES FROM Hal Holbrook CHARACTERS

Deep Throat
Get out your notebook, there's more. Your lives are in danger.
Deep Throat
The list is longer than anyone can imagine. It involves the entire US intelligence community. FBI, CIA, Justice, it's incredible.
Ron Franz
I'm going to miss you when you go.
Christopher McCandless
I will miss you too, but you are wrong if you think that the joy of life comes principally from the joy of human relationships. God's place is all around us, it is in everything and in anything we can experience. People just need to change the way they look at things.
Father Malone
"Blake, I have your gold. My grandfather stole it from you. I'm the one who must answer for it."
Father Malone
Blake, I have your gold. My grandfather stole it from you. I'm the one who must answer for it.
Charlie
We'll have you in the record books. Oldest man to run away to the circus.
Old Jacob
I'm not running away...I'm coming home.
Ron Franz
When you forgive, you love. And when you love, God's light shines on you.
Ron Franz
But when you forgive, you love. And when you love, God's light shines through you.
Lou Mannheim
The thing with money is, it makes you do things you don't want to do.
Lou Mannheim
The main thing about money, Bud, is that it makes you do things you don't want to do.
Old Jacob
I'm not running away... I'm coming home.
Old Jacob
I'm not running away, I'm coming home.
Ron Franz
When you forgive, you love. And when you love, God's light shines on you.
Wilma Northrup
(after Henry slams her against the crate several times) - That was great, Henry. That was just great. You think this is a Friday night fight? Is that what you think? You want to see some real punching? Same old Henry. Afraid of your own shadow. You know what, Henry? You're a regular barnyard exhibit. Sheep's eyes, chicken guts...piggy friends... and shit for brains. No good at departmental politics...no good at making money...no good at making an impression on anybody! And no good at all in bed! When was the last time you got it up, Henry? When was the last time you were a man in our bed? Now, get out of my way, or I swear you'll be wearing your balls for earrings! I swear to God if you ever touch-- (the monster pops out of the crate and eats her.)
Wilma Northrup
(after Henry slams her against the crate several times) That was great, Henry. That was just great. You think this is a Friday night fight? Is that what you think? You want to see some real punching? Same old Henry. Afraid of your own shadow. You know what, Henry? You're a regular barnyard exhibit. Sheep's eyes, chicken guts, piggy friends, and shit for brains. No good at departmental politics...no good at making money...no good at making an impression on anybody! And no good at all in bed! When was the last time you got it up, Henry? When was the last time you were a man in our bed? Now, get out of my way, or I swear you'll be wearing your balls for earrings! I swear to God if you ever touch (the monster pops out of the crate and eats her.)
Henry Northrup
...Just tell it to call you Billie.
Henry Northrup
Just tell it to call you Billie.
Henry Northrup
Just tell it to call you Billie, you bitch!
Wilma Northrup
What are you laughing about? Your best friend gets in a scrape with a girl and you're laughing?
Henry Northrup
There is a funny side to it, Wilma. Wait till you see. You'll think so yourself.
Wilma Northrup
You're hysterical, Henry. Just what I would have expected!
Henry Northrup
No, I don't think you'll expect this, Wilma. This is going to be an entirely new experience.
Deep Throat
Follow the money.