Hal Holbrook Has Died At 95

Hal Holbrook best known for his on-stage portrayal of Mark Twain, has died at 95.

The celebrated star died on Jan. 23 at his home in Beverly Hills, California, his assistant Joyce Cohen confirmed to the New York Times on Monday. No cause of death has been reported at this time.

Holbrook’s most notable role was playing American novelist Mark Twain in Mark Twain Tonight!, a one-man show the actor developed and directed.

He began performing the show in 1954 and appeared in it more than 2,200 times between the 1950s and 2010, according to Variety. The actor performed the show nationwide and brought the act to Broadway in 1977 and 2005.

Holbrook won the best actor Tony in 1966 for his role as Twain and scored his first of 10 Emmy nominations for a TV adaptation of the show in 1967.

The Cleveland native didn’t begin acting and performing until he attended Denison University, where he first created his show about Twain’s life. The actor then shot into the spotlight when he performed on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956.

Holbook also saw major success with his work in film and television.

The actor memorably portrayed Deep Throat in the 1976 movie centered on the Watergate scandal, All the President’s Men.

In 2007, Holbrook appeared in the film Into the Wild, which earned him a supporting actor Oscar nomination the following year. At the time, Holbrook, then 82, was the oldest person to ever receive the honor.

He also found roles in films including The Firm, Magnum Force, Wall Street, and Lincoln.

As for the small screen, Holbrook won a total of five Emmys for his roles on The Bold Ones: The Senator, Pueblo, Designing Women and The West Wing.

The actor had a recurring role on the sitcom Designing Women, where he played the boyfriend to his real-life wife, Dixie Carter.
According to Variety, Holbrook and Carter tied the knot in 1984 and remained married until her death in 2010.

Holbrook is survived by his three children and two stepdaughters, as well as two grandchildren and two step-grandchildren, the Times reported.