May 31, 2023 The Newspaper Serving LGBT Los Angeles

Hal Holbrook, Actor Who Played Mark Twain, Dies At 95

Hal Holbrook, the actor best known for his accurate portrayal of Samuel Clemens — better known as Mark Twain — in a solo show for nearly 50 years has died at the age of 95 on Jan. 23rd.

Holbrooks assistant, Joyce Cohen, confirmed the actor’s death but no cause of death was given. 

“Mark Twain Tonight!” — which Mr. Holbrook conceived and debuted in 1954 — earned him a Tony Award on Broadway in 1966 and captivated more than 20 million viewers in a CBS telecast in 1967. 

Holbook’s career spanned seven decades and 130 films and TV shows. Although playing Twain threatened to engulf the lot, Mr. Holbook maintained a hectic career as a Hollywood character actor known for delivering taut and intelligent performances. 

On Nov. 1st, 1972, “That Certain Summer” became the first television-movie to offer a sympathetic portrayal of homosexuality and, with an all-star cast of Hal Holbrook and Martin Sheen, it boosted visibility for the LGBTQ community when visibility was scarce. 

Holbrook also had a recurring role on the sitcom “Designing Women” popular among gay men, where he played the boyfriend to his real-life wife, Dixie Carter. Holbrook and Carter tied the knot in 1984 and remained married until her death in 2010.

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.

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

Related Posts

LA Pride Announces Three Grand Marshals For The 2023 LA Pride Parade

May 25, 2023

May 25, 2023

Comedian Margaret Cho, Actor Leslie JordanThe ACLU Named As Grand Marshalls Christopher Street West Association (CSW), the esteemed 501(c)3 nonprofit...

The Dodgers Reinstate LGBTQ+ Group’s Invitation and Honor At Dodger Pride Night

May 25, 2023

May 25, 2023

The Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence Accepted The Baseball Team’s Apology By Dolores Quintana This morning, The Los Angeles Dodgers issued...

Disneyland Welcomes Official ‘Pride Nite’

April 28, 2023

April 28, 2023

Part Of The Park’s Disneyland After Dark Series Of Events By Susan Payne Disneyland is holding its first official LGBTQ...

Latino Equality Alliances Awards $20,000 To College-Bound Students

April 28, 2023

April 28, 2023

Eight Scholarships Went To Low-Income LGBTQ+ Scholars By Susan Payne Throughout the nation, LGBTQ+ and trans rights are being challenged...

Drag March Rally in Weho Amasses Thousands

April 28, 2023

April 28, 2023

Inclusivity and Diversity Take Center Stage at Weho’s Drag March, Drawing Thousands to the Streets By Susan Payne Santa Monica...

Coalition of Faith Communities Stand Against Anti-Transgender Agenda

April 14, 2023

April 14, 2023

By Susan Payne At an All Saints Church in Pasadena lrecently, a coalition of faith communities discussed concerns about a...

Ricky Martin presents 2023 GLAAD Vanguard Award to Bad Bunny

April 14, 2023

April 14, 2023

By Susan Payne During the GLAAD Media Awards this spring, Bad Bunny was honored with the Vanguard Award presented by...

Timothy Dean Family Seeks Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Ed Buck

April 14, 2023

April 14, 2023

By Susan Payne Judgment before trail is at request of the three sisters of Timothy Dean, who died in the...

Food, Music, and Philanthropy: Taste of Home Festival Hits Los Angeles on April 29th

April 13, 2023

April 13, 2023

Food festival planned for April 29 in Hollywood The Taste of Home Festival offers a unique experience that goes beyond...

Los Angeles LGBT Center Hosts Drag March in Protest of Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation

April 6, 2023

April 6, 2023

Over 1,000 Angelenos to rally for rights on Easter Sunday Los Angeles, April 04 – The Los Angeles LGBT Center...

WeHo ‘Rainbow Mile’ Runners Amass 20K in Marathon

April 2, 2023

April 2, 2023

By Susan Payne Nearly 20,000 runners gathered in West Hollywood for the 28th Annual Los Angeles Marathon, referred to as...

Outed MMA Fighter Jeff Molina Comes out as Bisexual

April 2, 2023

April 2, 2023

By Susan Payne UFC bantamweight Jeff Molina, known as “El Jefe,” in the octagon, was outed on social media and...

House Digest Reports Best LGBTQ+ Friendly Cities in California

April 2, 2023

April 2, 2023

By Susan Payne California, with its exceptionally high LGBTQ+ populations and progressive economic, educational and social policies, was rated by...

High-Profile Prosecutor Jonathan Hatami Enters Race for Los Angeles District Attorney

March 31, 2023

March 31, 2023

Hatami, a prosecutor in the Complex Child Abuse Unit at the Hall of Justice in downtown LA, has been vocal...

Long Beach Businesses with LGBTQ Flags Vandalized

March 24, 2023

March 24, 2023

By Susan Payne Three businesses in Long Beach have reported windows smashed in with one common denominator: visible LGBTQ symbols. ...