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Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. is an American actor, television director and writer. He first received critical acclaim in 1954 for a one-man stage show he developed, Mark Twain Tonight!, while studying at Denison University, performing as Mark Twain. He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1966 for his portrayal of Twain. Throughout his career, he won five Primetime Emmy Awards.
Birth Name
Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr.
Born
Tuesday, 17 February 1925
Died
Saturday, 23 January 2021
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| I Am Burt Reynolds | Self | 2020 |
| Visible: Out on Television | Doug Salter | 2020 |
| Spielberg | Self - Segment "Lincoln" | 2017 |
| An American Conscience: The Reinhold Niebuhr Story | Reinhold Niebuhr (voice) / Reinhold Niebuhr | 2017 |
| Blackway | Whizzer | 2015 |
| No Sleep TV3 | Father Malone | 2015 |
| Planes: Fire & Rescue | Mayday (voice) / Mayday | 2014 |
| Holbrook/Twain: An American Odyssey | Himself / Self | 2014 |
| Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story | Himself / Self | 2013 |
| Savannah | Judge Harden | 2013 |
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| I Am Burt Reynolds | Self | 2020 |
| Visible: Out on Television | Doug Salter | 2020 |
| Spielberg | Self - Segment "Lincoln" | 2017 |
| An American Conscience: The Reinhold Niebuhr Story | Reinhold Niebuhr (voice) / Reinhold Niebuhr | 2017 |
| Blackway | Whizzer | 2015 |
| No Sleep TV3 | Father Malone | 2015 |
| Planes: Fire & Rescue | Mayday (voice) / Mayday | 2014 |
| Holbrook/Twain: An American Odyssey | Himself / Self | 2014 |
| Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story | Himself / Self | 2013 |
| Savannah | Judge Harden | 2013 |
| Rectify | Rutherford Gaines | 2013 |
| Monday Mornings | Dr. Arvin Wayne | 2013 |
| Lincoln | Preston Blair | 2012 |
| Promised Land | Frank Yates | 2012 |
| Water for Elephants | Old Jacob | 2011 |
| Good Day for It | Hec | 2011 |
| The Event | James Dempsey | 2010 |
| Hawaii Five-0 | Leonard Patterson | 2010 |
| Flying Lessons | Harry Pleasant | 2010 |
| That Evening Sun | Abner Meecham | 2009 |
| Inventing L.A.: The Chandlers and Their Times | Harrison Gray Otis | 2009 |
| Killshot | Papa | 2008 |
| Sons of Anarchy | Nate Madock | 2008 |
| The 80th Annual Academy Awards | Self - Nominee | 2008 |
| Cinemassacre's Monster Madness | Henry Northrup | 2007 |
| Into the Wild | Ron Franz / Ronald "Ron" Franz | 2007 |
| Silent Wings: The American Glider Pilots of World War II | Narrator | 2007 |
| Secret's Out | Self - Guest | 2006 |
| The 60th Annual Tony Awards | Self - Presenter | 2006 |
| Bones | Red Hudmore | 2005 |
| Grey's Anatomy | Dr. Lewis Clatch | 2005 |
| Shootout | Self | 2003 |
| Hope & Faith | Edward Shanowski | 2003 |
| NCIS | Mickey Stokes | 2003 |
| The Designing Women Reunion | Self | 2003 |
| Shade | The Professor | 2003 |
| Good Morning, Miami | Jim Templeton | 2002 |
| Founding Brothers | Benjamin Franklin | 2002 |
| Purpose | Tom Walker | 2002 |
| Mark Twain | Himself / Self | 2002 |
| The Majestic | Congressman Doyle | 2001 |
| AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills: America's Most Heart-Pounding Movies | Self | 2001 |
| The Legend of the Three Trees | Narrator | 2001 |
| Haven | Harold L. Ickes | 2001 |
| Founding Fathers | Benjamin Franklin | 2000 |
| The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus | Ak - Master Woodsman of the World (voice) / Ak - Master Woodsman of the World | 2000 |
| Men of Honor | 'Mr. Pappy' | 2000 |
| Waking the Dead | Isaac Green | 2000 |
| The Bachelor | O'Dell | 1999 |
| The West Wing | Asst. Secretary of State Albie Duncan | 1999 |
| Family Law | Judge Richard Lloyd | 1999 |
| The Sopranos | John Schwinn | 1999 |
| The Florentine | Smitty | 1999 |
| The Directors | Self | 1999 |
| Becker | Mr. Humphries | 1998 |
| Rusty: A Dog's Tale | Boyd Callahan | 1998 |
| Judas Kiss | Senator Rupert Hornbeck | 1998 |
| Walking to the Waterline | Man on the Beach | 1998 |
| Hush | Dr. Franklin Hill | 1998 |
| Beauty | Alexander Miller | 1998 |
| My Own Country | Lloyd Flanders | 1998 |
| The Third Twin | Pete | 1997 |
| Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery | Narrator | 1997 |
| Eye of God | Sheriff Rogers | 1997 |
| All the Winters That Have Been | Uncle Ren Corvin | 1997 |
| Trail of Hope: The Story of the Mormon Trail | Narrator | 1997 |
| Hercules | Amphitryon / Amphitryon (voice) | 1997 |
| The 51st Annual Tony Awards | Self - Presenter | 1997 |
| Cats Don't Dance | Cranston (voice) / Cranston | 1997 |
| Operation Delta Force | Admiral Henshaw | 1997 |
| America on Wheels | Narrator | 1996 |
| The Battle of the Alamo | Voice / Self - Narrator | 1996 |
| Carried Away | Doctor Evans / Dr. Evans | 1996 |
| Innocent Victims | Bob Hennis | 1996 |
| Stormchasers | Narrator | 1995 |
| A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Jealous Jokester | Wild Bill McKenzie | 1995 |
| The Outer Limits | Justice Oliver Harbison | 1995 |
| A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor | Wild Bill McKenzie | 1994 |
| ER | Walter Perkins | 1994 |
| A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle | William McKenzie | 1994 |
| The Firm | Oliver Lambert | 1993 |
| Bonds of Love | Jim Smith | 1993 |
| Clint Eastwood on Westerns | Narrator | 1992 |
| HBO First Look | Johnston T Doyle / Self | 1992 |
| Evening Shade | Evan Evans | 1990 |
| A Killing in a Small Town | Dr. Beardsley | 1990 |
| Fletch Lives | Hamilton "Ham" Johnson / Ham Johnson | 1989 |
| Day One | Gen. George Marshall | 1989 |
| The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts | Self | 1988 |
| I'll Be Home for Christmas | Joseph Bundy | 1988 |
| American Experience | Self - Narrator | 1988 |
| Emma: Queen of the South Seas | Jonas Coe | 1988 |
| The Unholy | Archbishop Mosely | 1988 |
| The Fortunate Pilgrim | Dr. Andrew McKaig | 1988 |
| Superman 50th Anniversary | Himself / Self | 1988 |
| Wall Street | Lou Mannheim | 1987 |
| Designing Women | Reese Watson | 1986 |
| North & South: Book 2, Love & War | Abraham Lincoln | 1986 |
| Dress Gray | Gen. Charles Hedges | 1986 |
| North & South: Book 1, North & South | Abraham Lincoln | 1985 |
| The Three Wishes of Billy Grier | Grandpa Grier | 1984 |
| George Washington | John Adams | 1984 |
| Celebrity | Calvin Sledge | 1984 |
| Portrait of America | Self - Host / Narrator | 1983 |
| The Star Chamber | Benjamin Caulfield | 1983 |
| Girls Nite Out | Jim MacVey | 1982 |
| Creepshow | Henry Northrup (segment "The Crate") | 1982 |
| The Killing of Randy Webster | John Webster | 1981 |
| The Warlords | Self - Narrator | 1981 |
| The Kidnapping of the President | President Adam Scott | 1980 |
| Off the Minnesota Strip | Bud Johansen | 1980 |
| The Fog | Father Malone | 1980 |
| Natural Enemies | Paul Steward | 1979 |
| When Hell Was in Session | Cmdr. Jeremiah A. Denton | 1979 |
| The Legend of the Golden Gun | J.R. Swackhammer | 1979 |
| Murder by Natural Causes | Arthur Sinclair | 1979 |
| 20/20 | Deep Throat | 1978 |
| The Awakening Land | Portius Wheeler - The Solitary / Portius Wheeler | 1978 |
| Capricorn One | Dr. James Kelloway | 1977 |
| Julia | Alan | 1977 |
| The 29th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards | Self - Presenter | 1977 |
| Rituals | Harry | 1977 |
| Our Town | 1977 | |
| Midway | Cmdr. Joseph Rochefort / Commander Joseph Rochefort | 1976 |
| The 28th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards | Self - Winner | 1976 |
| All the President's Men | Deep Throat | 1976 |
| The Time of Your Life | Himself - Host / Self - Host | 1976 |
| Saturday Night Live | Self | 1975 |
| The Girl from Petrovka | Joe | 1974 |
| Dinah! | Self - Guest | 1974 |
| Lincoln | Abraham Lincoln | 1974 |
| Nova | Self - Narrator / Self (narrator) | 1974 |
| Tattletales | Self | 1974 |
| Magnum Force | Lt. Briggs / Lieutenant Briggs | 1973 |
| Jonathan Livingston Seagull | The Elder / The Elder (voice) | 1973 |
| Pueblo | Capt. Lloyd Bucher | 1973 |
| They Only Kill Their Masters | Dr. Warren G. Watkins | 1972 |
| That Certain Summer | Doug Salter | 1972 |
| Appointment with Destiny | Narrator | 1971 |
| Goodbye, Raggedy Ann | Harlan Webb | 1971 |
| Suddenly Single | Larry Hackett | 1971 |
| Great Performances | Self - Host | 1971 |
| The Great White Hope | Cameron | 1970 |
| The Bold Ones: The Senator | Senator Hays Stowe | 1970 |
| The People Next Door | David Hoffman | 1970 |
| Actor's Choice | Self - Host | 1970 |
| The David Frost Show | Self - Guest | 1969 |
| The Brotherhood | Man at table | 1968 |
| The Name of the Game | Mayor John Adrian | 1968 |
| Wild in the Streets | Sen. Johnny Fergus / Senator Johnny Fergus | 1968 |
| Off to See the Wizard | Narrator | 1967 |
| Coronet Blue | Carey Thomas | 1967 |
| Hal Holbrook: Mark Twain Tonight! | Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) | 1967 |
| CBS Playhouse: The Glass Menagerie | Her Son / Tom Wingfield | 1966 |
| The Group | Gus Leroy | 1966 |
| The F.B.I. | Christopher Simes | 1965 |
| The Match Game | Self - Team Captain | 1962 |
| The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Himself - Guest | 1962 |
| The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar | Himself - Guest | 1957 |
| Wide Wide World | Self | 1955 |
| Mr. Citizen | Don Gallagher | 1955 |
| The Magical World of Disney | Mitch Collins | 1954 |
| The Tonight Show | Self | 1954 |
| The Brighter Day | Grayling Dennis | 1954 |
| The Ed Sullivan Show | Self - Guest / Abraham Lincoln | 1948 |
Director Filmography
| Title | Year |
|---|
| Designing Women | 1986 |
| Year | Type | Category | Won |
|---|
| 2008 | Oscar | Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role | Nominated |
| 1989 | Emmy | Outstanding Performance in Informational Programming | Won |
| 1988 | Emmy | Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational Programming | Nominated |
| 1978 | Emmy | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series | Nominated |
| 1978 | Emmy | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama or Comedy Special | Nominated |
| 1976 | Emmy | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series | Won |
| 1974 | Emmy | Best Lead Actor in a Drama | Won |
| 1974 | Emmy | Actor of the Year - Special | Won |
| 1973 | Emmy | Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | Nominated |
| 1971 | Emmy | Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series | Won |
| 1967 | Emmy | Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Drama | Nominated |
