Hal Holbrook, who played Mark Twain for over 60 years, passes away at 90

Oscar nominated actor Hal Holbrook, who famously played Deep Throat in All the President’s Men, has died aged 95. 

The beloved actor passed away at his home in Beverly Hills on January 23, his personal assistant Joyce Cohen confirmed to The New York Times on Monday. 

Over the course of his successful six-decade spanning career, Hal earned five Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and an Oscar nomination.  

Holbrook was born in February 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Denison University where he first portrayed Mark Twain.

He enrolled in an honors program about the famed American writer at the university, which lead him to create a one-man show entitled Mark Twain Tonight.

He went on to star in the show for 63 years, before announcing his retirement in September 2017.

One to watch: Holbrook famously starred in the 1976 political thriller All the President’s Men where he played the Watergate informant dubbed Deep Throat

Acting always played a huge role in Holbrook’s life. Even while serving in the Army in World War II, he performed in theatre productions such as Lady Precious Stream while he was stationed in Newfoundland.

After the war, his first solo performance of Mark Twain happened in 1954 at Lock Haven State Teachers College in Pennsylvania, where he was discovered by Ed Sullivan.

Holbrook performed on The Ed Sullivan Show, earning him national exposure, and he ultimately took Mark Twain Tonight on Broadway, where he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play in 1966.

Hal as Mark: He was in an honors program about Mark Twain at the university, which lead him to create a one-man show entitled Mark Twain Tonight – which earned him a Tony Award (pictured in 1984)

A year later he earned his first Emmy nomination for Mark Twain Tonight, when it was presented by CBS and Xerox, which lead to a career in film and television.

Holbrook made his film debut in director Sidney Lumet’s The Group in 1966, which lead to bigger roles as Lt. Neil Briggs in Magnum Force and his iconic turn as the Watergate informant dubbed Deep Throat in political thriller, All the President’s Men.

While he continued to act in both television and movies, he was more successful on the small screen, winning his first Emmy in 1971 for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in The Bold Ones: The Senator.

Successful: Hal scooped two Emmy Awards in 1974. One for for Best Lead Actor in a Drama for war drama Pueblo and also a Primetime Emmy Award for Actor of the Year (Special Award)

As seen on screen: Holbrook starred in the 1974 American comedy-drama film The Girl From Petrovka alongside Goldie Hawn, in the same year he scooped two Emmy Awards

He won two Emmy’s in 1974 – Best Lead Actor in a Drama and Actor of the Year – Special – for playing Lloyd Bucher in Pueblo.

He also won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series in 1974 for playing President Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln and Outstanding Performance in Informational Programming in 1989 for the Alaska episode of Portraits of America.

Holbrook also starred in hit films such as The Fog, The Star Chamber, Wall Street, The Firm, Men of Honor and his last film in 2015, Blackway.

In 2007 he became one of the oldest men earn an Oscar nomination at the age of 82, for his performance in Into the Wild. 

Holbrook was married three times and had three children. He is survived by his kids, Victoria, David and Eve. 

Family man: Holbrook was married three times and had three children. He is survived by his kids, Victoria, David and Eve