American actor of stage and screen whose awards include a Tony, five primetime Emmys, an Obie, and a Peabody. His debut film was “The Group” in 1966. His other films include “All the President’s Men” 1976, “Wall Street,” 1987 and “Carried Away,” 1996. He also did a voice-over for “Hercules” in 1997. Holbrook was well known in legitimate theater, doing a variety of stage roles, and on TV in the series “The Bold Ones.”
He first put his “Mark Twain Tonight!” show together in 1955 and played it as a hit in 1959. With 2,000 performances, it became the most successful one-man show in theater history with a role he played for 39 years.
Holbrook was abandoned by his parents at age two. He was never given an explanation; his mother just left. Raised by his grandparents and relatives, he was sent to boy’s schools, a difficult solution when he was knocked around, but somehow he found the strength to survive. His grandfather, a strong role model, died when the boy was 12.
Holbrook was first married to Ruby Johnston from 1945-1965; they had one daughter, Victoria, and one son, David. His second marriage, to Carol Rossen, was in 1966 and lasted until 1979; they had one daughter, Evie. His third and final marriage came in 1984 to actress Dixie Carter; he worked with her when making guest appearances on her popular series, “Designing Women.” They had first met doing a play for television in 1980, then worked together again in 1982.
Holbrook found 1989 to be one of the worst years of his career. Nothing was happening and he was depressed. When he read the role of King Lear, he had a tremendous connection with it and in early 1990, committed himself to doing the play. Moving back into the theater seemed like home and was one of the best decisions that he’d ever made. Since then, every year he acted in one or two plays, feeling that they kept him alive and involved. He had to keep in good shape physically, so he swam and exercised in the mornings.
His wife Dixie Carter died on 10 April 2010. Hal Holbrook died at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on 23 January 2021 at age 95.
Link to Wikipedia biography