BEVERLY HILLS—On January 23, Ohio native and actor Hal Holbrook died at age 95 in his Beverly Hills home. His death was confirmed by his assistant, Joyce Cohen.
Holbrook was best known for his role as Mark Twain in “Mark Twain Tonight!,” a one-man show. The first performance took place in 1954 when Holbrook was 29. The show did so well CBS aired it again on March 6, 1967. An estimated 30 million people watched. Holbrook received acclaim and recognition as he continued to play Twain for more than six decades. His performance as Mark Twain won him a Tony award and influenced the first of his 12 Emmy Award nominations in 1967.
He starred in the films “Into the Wild” (2007), “Lincoln” (2012), “All the President’s Men” (1976), and “The Fog” (1980). Holbrook won five Emmy Awards, with his first in 1971 for “The Senator-The Bold Ones.” He won two Emmys in 1974 for “Pueblo,” a fourth award in 1976 for Sandburg’s “Lincoln” and won an award in 1989 for “Portrait of America: Alaska.”
Condolences for the actor flooded social media. Director Edgar Wright tweeted, “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.”
Director John Carpenter tweeted, “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.”
