Harold R. Holbrook Jr.

Hal Holbrook was born on February 17, 1925, in Cleveland, Ohio. His birth name was Harold Rowe Holbrook, Jr., but he adopted the name Hal Holbrook upon embarking upon an acting career. Holbrook attended the Culver Military Academy, before enlisting in the United States Army Engineers during World War II. Upon leaving the military, Holbrook enrolled at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. Holbrook graduated from Denison in 1948.

While a college student, Holbrook developed a love for acting. In 1954, he wrote and starred in a one-man show, Mark Twain Tonight!. This is his most famous role by far, and he has performed various versions of this show for the past six decades. Holbrook has also acted in scores of movies and television programs. His most notable movie performances include All the President's Men and Midway. His most famous television shows are Evening Shade, West Wing, and Designing Women. On Designing Women, Holbrook acted with Dixie Carter, his wife of twenty-one years. Currently, at eighty years of age, Holbrook continues to act in theater, in movies, and on television.