Hal Holbrook was a renowned American actor best known for his one-man show, "Mark Twain Tonight!" He earned critical acclaim for his portrayal of Mark Twain, a role he originated in 1954 and continued to perform for over six decades. Holbrook's performance as Twain on Broadway earned him a Tony Award in 1966. His illustrious career also included winning five Primetime Emmy Awards and an Academy Award nomination. He retired from acting in 2017 due to health reasons.
1902: Birth of Harold Rowe Holbrook Sr.
Hal Holbrook's father, Harold Rowe Holbrook Sr., was born in 1902.
1905: Birth of Aileen Davenport Holbrook
Aileen Davenport Holbrook, Hal Holbrook's mother and a vaudeville dancer, was born in 1905.
February 17, 1925: Birth of Hal Holbrook
Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr., known as Hal Holbrook, was born on February 17, 1925.
1941: Member of the Valley Players
From 1941 to 1962, Hal Holbrook was part of the Valley Players, a summer-stock theater company in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
1942: Military Service in World War II
Hal Holbrook served in the United States Army during World War II, starting in 1942. He was stationed in Newfoundland, where he participated in theater productions.
1945: Marriage to Ruby Elaine Johnston
Hal Holbrook married Ruby Elaine Johnston, a Newfoundlander, in 1945.
1946: End of Military Service
Hal Holbrook completed his military service in the United States Army, achieving the rank of staff sergeant, in 1946.
1954: Hal Holbrook's Critical Acclaim
Hal Holbrook received critical acclaim for his one-man stage show, "Mark Twain Tonight!", which he developed while studying at Denison University in 1954.
1954: First Solo Performance as Mark Twain
Hal Holbrook's first solo performance as Mark Twain took place at Lock Haven State Teachers College in Pennsylvania in 1954.
1955: Joining The Lambs Club
Hal Holbrook became a member of The Lambs Club in 1955, where he further developed his one-man show, "Mark Twain Tonight!".
February 12, 1956: Appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show"
Ed Sullivan featured a 31-year-old Hal Holbrook on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on February 12, 1956, giving him his first national exposure.
1957: "Mark Twain Tonight!" as Season Opener
Hal Holbrook's "Mark Twain Tonight!" served as the season opener at The Lambs Club in 1957.
1959: Off-Broadway Debut and Recording
Hal Holbrook performed "Mark Twain Tonight!" off-Broadway, and Columbia Records released an LP of excerpts from the show in 1959.
1962: End of Time with the Valley Players
Hal Holbrook concluded his time with the Valley Players, a summer-stock theater company in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in 1962.
1962: Early Performance of "Mark Twain Tonight!"
In the spring of 1962, Hal Holbrook gave one of his early performances of "Mark Twain Tonight!".
1964: Role in "Incident at Vichy"
Hal Holbrook played the role of the Major in the original production of Arthur Miller's "Incident at Vichy" in 1964.
1964: Performance at the New York World's Fair
Hal Holbrook was part of a special production for the Bell Telephone Pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair.
1965: Divorce from Ruby Elaine Johnston
Hal Holbrook and Ruby Elaine Johnston divorced in 1965.
1965: Continued Performance at the New York World's Fair
Hal Holbrook continued his performance at the Bell Telephone Pavilion at the New York World's Fair into 1965.
1966: Tony Award for Best Actor
Hal Holbrook won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his portrayal of Mark Twain in "Mark Twain Tonight!" in 1966.
1966: Role in "The Glass Menagerie"
Hal Holbrook starred alongside Shirley Booth in the acclaimed CBS Playhouse production of "The Glass Menagerie" in 1966.
1966: Marriage to Carol Eve Rossen
Hal Holbrook married Carol Eve Rossen in 1966.
1966: Film Debut in "The Group"
Hal Holbrook made his film debut in Sidney Lumet's "The Group" in 1966.
1966: Broadway Debut in "Mark Twain Tonight!"
Hal Holbrook debuted on Broadway with "Mark Twain Tonight!" in 1966.
1967: Emmy Award for "Mark Twain Tonight!"
Hal Holbrook received an Emmy Award for his performance in the televised presentation of "Mark Twain Tonight!" by CBS and Xerox in 1967.
1968: Replacement Role in "Man of La Mancha"
Hal Holbrook was among the actors who replaced Richard Kiley in the original Broadway production of "Man of La Mancha" in 1968, despite his limited singing abilities.
1970: Emmy Award for "The Bold Ones: The Senator"
Hal Holbrook won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role in "The Bold Ones: The Senator" in 1970.
1972: Role in "That Certain Summer"
Hal Holbrook co-starred with Martin Sheen in the controversial television film "That Certain Summer" in 1972. In the same year, he also appeared in a public service announcement about drug abuse abroad.
1973: Role in "Magnum Force"
Hal Holbrook appeared as Lieutenant Neil Briggs in the film "Magnum Force" in 1973, playing the boss and rival of Clint Eastwood's character.
1974: Portrayal of Abraham Lincoln
Hal Holbrook portrayed Abraham Lincoln in the 1974 miniseries "Lincoln".
1976: Role as Deep Throat in "All the President's Men"
Hal Holbrook gained international recognition for his portrayal of the enigmatic Deep Throat in the 1976 film "All the President's Men."
1976: Portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in Television Specials
Hal Holbrook garnered praise for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in a series of television specials based on Carl Sandburg's biography in 1976.
1977: Notable Film Appearances
Hal Holbrook appeared in films like "Julia" and "Capricorn One" in 1977.
1977: Second Broadway Run of "Mark Twain Tonight!"
Hal Holbrook returned to Broadway with "Mark Twain Tonight!" in 1977.
1979: Role in "Murder by Natural Causes"
Hal Holbrook starred in the made-for-TV movie "Murder by Natural Causes" in 1979, alongside Katharine Ross, Barry Bostwick, and Richard Anderson.
1980: Role in "The Fog"
Hal Holbrook appeared in the film "The Fog" in 1980.
1982: Role in "Creepshow"
Hal Holbrook appeared in the film "Creepshow" in 1982.
1982: Death of Harold Rowe Holbrook Sr.
Hal Holbrook's father, Harold Rowe Holbrook Sr., passed away in 1982.
1983: Divorce from Carol Eve Rossen
Hal Holbrook and Carol Eve Rossen divorced in 1983.
1984: Role in "George Washington"
Hal Holbrook appeared in the miniseries "George Washington" in 1984.
1984: Marriage to Dixie Carter
Hal Holbrook married actress and singer Dixie Carter in 1984.
1985: Role in "North and South"
Hal Holbrook appeared in the 1985 miniseries "North and South".
1986: Recurring Role on "Designing Women"
Hal Holbrook landed a recurring role as Reese Watson on the television series "Designing Women" in 1986, acting opposite his wife, Dixie Carter.
1986: Recurring role on "Designing Women"
Hal Holbrook began his recurring role on his wife's sitcom, "Designing Women", appearing in nine episodes between 1986 and 1989.
1986: Role in "Dress Gray"
Hal Holbrook appeared in the miniseries "Dress Gray" in 1986.
1987: Role in "Wall Street"
Hal Holbrook appeared in the film "Wall Street" in 1987.
1987: Death of Aileen Davenport Holbrook
Hal Holbrook's mother, Aileen Davenport Holbrook, passed away in 1987.
1988: Directing Episodes of "Designing Women"
Between 1988 and 1990, Hal Holbrook directed four episodes of the television series "Designing Women."
1989: End of Recurring Role on "Designing Women"
Hal Holbrook concluded his recurring role as Reese Watson on "Designing Women" in 1989.
1989: Last appearance on "Designing Women"
Hal Holbrook made his last appearance on his wife's sitcom "Designing Women" in 1989.
1990: End of Directing Stint on "Designing Women"
Hal Holbrook's stint directing episodes of "Designing Women" ended in 1990.
1993: Role in "The Firm"
Hal Holbrook appeared in the film "The Firm" in 1993.
1997: Role in "Hercules"
Hal Holbrook appeared in the film "Hercules" in 1997.
1997: Narrator for "Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery"
Hal Holbrook provided the narration for Ken Burns' documentary "Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery" in 1997.
1999: Nate Parker's alleged rape
Nate Parker, who was later defended by Hal Holbrook, was accused of rape in 1999.
1999: Induction into American Theatre Hall of Fame
Hal Holbrook was honored with an induction into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1999.
2000: Role in "Men of Honor"
Hal Holbrook appeared in the film "Men of Honor" in 2000.
2003: National Humanities Medal
Hal Holbrook was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President George W. Bush in 2003.
2003: Awarded National Humanities Medal
President George W. Bush awarded Hal Holbrook the National Humanities Medal in 2003 for his portrayal of Mark Twain.
2005: Third Broadway Run of "Mark Twain Tonight!"
Hal Holbrook brought "Mark Twain Tonight!" back to Broadway in 2005, marking his third run with the show.
2005: Host of "The Seventh Day: Revelations From The Lost Pages of History"
Hal Holbrook served as the host of the documentary "The Seventh Day: Revelations From The Lost Pages of History" in 2005.
2006: Guest appearances in "The Sopranos" and "NCIS"
In 2006, Hal Holbrook made guest appearances in an episode of the HBO series "The Sopranos" and the "NCIS" episode "Escaped".
September 2007: Starred as the narrator in the Hartford Stage production of Thornton Wilder's Our Town
In September 2007, Hal Holbrook starred as the narrator in the Hartford Stage production of Thornton Wilder's Our Town, a role he had previously played on television.
2007: Academy Award Nomination for "Into the Wild"
Hal Holbrook's performance as Ron Franz in "Into the Wild" (2007) earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
2008: Filming of "That Evening Sun"
Hal Holbrook appeared with his wife, Dixie Carter, in the film "That Evening Sun", which was filmed in East Tennessee in 2008.
March 2009: Premiere of "That Evening Sun"
That Evening Sun, in which Hal Holbrook starred alongside his wife Dixie Carter, premiered at South By Southwest in March 2009. Holbrook's performance received critical acclaim.
2009: Critical Acclaim for "That Evening Sun"
Hal Holbrook received critical acclaim for his performance as Abner Meecham in the independent film "That Evening Sun" in 2009.
April 10, 2010: Death of Dixie Carter
Dixie Carter, Hal Holbrook's wife, died from endometrial cancer on April 10, 2010.
April 22, 2010: Joined the cast of "Sons of Anarchy"
On April 22, 2010, Hal Holbrook joined the cast of the FX series "Sons of Anarchy" for a four-episode arc in the third season and an additional appearance in the final season.
2011: Appeared in "Water for Elephants"
Hal Holbrook appeared in the film "Water for Elephants" in 2011.
2011: Multiple-episode arc on "The Event"
Hal Holbrook had a multiple-episode arc on the NBC television series "The Event" during the 2010-2011 season.
2011: Publication of memoir "Harold: The Boy Who Became Mark Twain"
Hal Holbrook's memoir, "Harold: The Boy Who Became Mark Twain", was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 2011.
2012: Role in Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln"
Hal Holbrook portrayed Francis Preston Blair in Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" in 2012.
2012: Cast as Francis Preston Blair in "Lincoln"
Steven Spielberg cast Hal Holbrook to play Francis Preston Blair in the film "Lincoln" in 2012.
September 2014: Performance at Alma Mater
Hal Holbrook gave a performance of "Mark Twain Tonight!" at his high school alma mater in Indiana in September 2014.
2014: Voice role in "Planes: Fire & Rescue" and subject of documentary "Holbrook/Twain: An American Odyssey"
In 2014, Holbrook lent his voice to the animated film "Planes: Fire & Rescue" and was the subject of the documentary "Holbrook/Twain: An American Odyssey", which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival.
October 2016: Defense of Nate Parker
In October 2016, Hal Holbrook wrote a letter to The New York Times defending actor-director Nate Parker over his alleged 1999 rape of a woman and Parker's controversial film "The Birth of a Nation".
2016: Appearance in the film "Blackway"
Hal Holbrook had a minor role as Whizzer in the drama film "Blackway" in 2016.
2016: Political Statements
In 2016, Hal Holbrook publicly criticized then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and praised Senator Bernie Sanders.
2016: Cast in the final season of "Bones"
Hal Holbrook was cast as Red Hudmore in the final season of "Bones" in 2016.
January 17, 2017: Appeared as Red Hudmore in the final season of "Bones"
Hal Holbrook appeared as Red Hudmore in the final season of the television show "Bones" on January 17, 2017.
March 23, 2017: Guest appearance on "Grey's Anatomy"
On March 23, 2017, Hal Holbrook guest-starred on an episode of "Grey's Anatomy" as a retired thoracic surgeon.
September 2017: Retirement from "Mark Twain Tonight!"
After six decades of portraying Mark Twain, Hal Holbrook announced his retirement from "Mark Twain Tonight!" in September 2017. He expressed a desire to continue working in film and television.
2017: Retirement from "Mark Twain Tonight!"
At the age of 92, Hal Holbrook retired from performing "Mark Twain Tonight!" in 2017 after touring with the show for many years.
2017: Retirement of "Mark Twain Tonight!"
Due to his declining health, Hal Holbrook retired his signature role as Mark Twain in "Mark Twain Tonight!" in 2017 after performing it for over six decades.
January 23, 2021: Death of Hal Holbrook
Hal Holbrook passed away on January 23, 2021.