Philip Baker Hall

Early life Hall was born on September 10, 1931, in Toledo, Ohio. He attended the University of Toledo. and as a high school teacher.

Career After his film debut Cowards, He had over 200 guest roles since 1977. He played Richard Nixon in the one-character film Secret Honor, reprising the role he had created during the play's original Off-Broadway run. Roger Ebert said about Hall and the film: "Nixon is portrayed by Philip Baker Hall, an actor previously unknown to me, with such savage intensity, such passion, such venom, such scandal, that we cannot turn away. Hall looks a little like the real Nixon; he could be a cousin, and he sounds a little like him. That's close enough. This is not an impersonation, it's a performance." Vincent Canby of The New York Times also praised Hall's "immense performance, which is as astonishing and risky ― for the chances the actor takes and survives ― as that of the Oscar-winning F. Murray Abraham in Amadeus."

In the 1980s, Hall co-starred in various films in supporting roles, including Nothing in Common (1986), Midnight Run (1988), Say Anything... and Ghostbusters II (both 1989). His television appearances included Family Ties, Falcon Crest, Murder, She Wrote, and Cheers. He played "Lt. Joe Bookman", a detective pursuing a long-overdue library book in the Seinfeld episodes, "The Library" and "The Finale". His first Seinfeld appearance led him to be widely lauded as one of the best guest stars on the series, and led to many other jobs.

Hall contributed an opening narration, a parody of the announcements one would hear on Magnetic Reference Laboratory's calibration tapes for analogue tape recorders, on 1000 Hurts, the 2000 album by Chicago post-punk band Shellac.

Hall starred in Paul Thomas Anderson's short film Cigarettes & Coffee (1993), which was adapted into Anderson's directorial debut film Hard Eight (1996). For the film, Hall played a senior gambler who mentors a homeless man (John C. Reilly). Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said about Hall, "Here is another great performance. He is a man who has been around, who knows casinos and gambling, who finds himself attached to three people he could easily have avoided, who thinks before he acts." Hall was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead. He later starred in Anderson's other films Boogie Nights (1997) and Magnolia (1999). He was nominated for two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Hall starred with Philip Seymour Hoffman in four films.

Hall had turns in a variety of films in the 1990s, including The Rock (1996), Buddy (1997), Air Force One (1997), The Truman Show (1998), Enemy of the State (1998), The Insider (1999), and The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999). He played Captain Diel in the Rush Hour trilogy (1998-2007) (though his scenes were cut from Rush Hour 2 and he was uncredited for the scene in Rush Hour 3). and The Sum of All Fears (2002).

Hall also undertook stage work in New York and Los Angeles, but did not appear on Broadway. He later married Holly Wolfle, with whom he had two daughters.

Filmography Film Year Title Role NotesRef. 1970 Cowards Father Reis 1974 Throw Out the Anchor! Ryan Credited as "Phillip Hall" 1978 Coma Doctor 1980 The Man with Bogart's Face Dr. Inman 1982 The Last Reunion Mike Sills 1987 Three O'Clock High Detective Mulvahill 1995 Kiss of Death Big Junior Brown Duck Arthur Pratt Dog Eat Dog Old man Short film Argo CIA Director Stansfield Turner Uncredited 1977 Man from Atlantis George Episode: "Man from Atlantis" Kill Me If You Can Phillips Riding for the Pony Express Mr. Durfee Television film 1981 This House Possessed Clerk 1982 McClain's Law Mr. Harris Episode: "Takeover" Quincy, M.E. Deputy DA Marty Shell Captain Rasmussen 2 episodes 1984 Benson Harrison Fowler Episode: "The Election" Lottery! Episode: "Houston: Duffy's Choice" 1985 Hardcastle and McCormick Jack Marsh Episode: "Too Rich and Too Thin" 1986 Who Is Julia? Dean May Television film 1991 Murder, She Wrote Len Costner Episode: "Moving Violation" Dark Justice Winchester Keller Episode: "The Neutralizing Factor" Stormy Weathers Dr. Comden Television film Roswell Roswell General Television film Chicago Hope Mr. Wellington Episode: "You Gotta Have Heart" Without Warning Dr. Kurt Lowden Television film The John Larroquette Show Mr. Frank Episode: "Napping to Success" Michael Hayes William Vaughn 20 episodes 1998 Tempting Fate Dr. Bardwell Television film 2000 The Fugitive Stuart Kimble Episode: "St. Christopher's Prayer" Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Aristotle Onassis Television film 2008 Psych Irving Parker Episode: "Dis-Lodged" 2010 The Life & Times of Tim Norman Walker (voice) Episode: "London Calling/Novelist" 2013 Clear History McKenzie Television film 2014 Rake Mitch Markham Episode: "Remembrance of Taxis Past" Altman Himself Documentary 2017 Room 104 Charlie Episode: "My Love" 1965 In White America Performer Martin Duberman Players Theatre, Off-Broadway 1975 Gorky Gorky Steve Tesich American Place Theatre, Off-Broadway 1979 The Chicago Conspiracy Trial Judge Hoffman Ron Sossi and Frank Condon Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, Los Angeles 1983 In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer Herbert S. Marks Heinar Kipphardt Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, Los Angeles Secret Honor Richard Nixon Donald Freed Provincetown Playhouse, Off-Broadway 1990 The Crucible Thomas Danforth Arthur Miller Los Angeles Theatre Company 1995 The Homecoming Max Harold Pinter Matrix Theatre, Los Angeles 2000 American Buffalo Don David Mamet Donmar Warehouse, West End Linda Gross Theatre, Off-Broadway

Accolades Year Award Category Nominated work Result 1996 Independent Spirit Award Best Male Lead Hard Eight 1997 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Cast – Motion PictureBoogie Nights Florida Film Critics Circle Best Ensemble 1999 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Cast – Motion PictureMagnolia Florida Film Critics Circle Best Ensemble 2001 Broadcast Film Critics Association Alan J. Pakula Award The Contender 2012 Hollywood Film Awards Best Ensemble Argo