Philip Baker Hall Has Died At Age 90

Philip Baker Hall passed away last night at age 90. The legendary character actor was perhaps best known for his role as the surly, no-nonsense library cop, Lieutenant Bookman, in two episodes of Seinfeld. Philip co-starred in three Paul Thomas Anderson movies: Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, and, my personal favorite film of all time, Magnolia. He also appeared in Say Anything…, The Truman Show, Rush Hour, Argo, Zodiac, and both the stage and screen versions of Secret Honor, a one-man show about Richard Nixon. Philip is survived by his four daughters, Anna, Adella, Trisha, and Darcy; two from his first marriage to Maryella Holst and two with his third wife, Holly Wolfle.  Daughter Anna told The Hollywood Reporter that the cause of death was complications from emphysema. He died at his home in Glendale, California.

Philip Baker Hall was born to a blue-collar family in Toledo, Ohio in 1931, during the Great Depression. As a kid, Philip became interested in entertainment and performed magic shows at lodge meetings and banquet functions. He was active in his high school drama club and majored in speech and drama at the University of Toledo. He graduated in 1953 and served in Germany as a U.S. Army translator. Philip married Maryella in 1955 and supported his family by working as a high school teacher. By age 30, he was sick of teaching and decided to move to New York City and pursue acting.

He began his career onstage and appeared in his first film in 1970. Philip’s IMDb boasts 185 acting roles, via Washington Post:

With his raspy delivery, grizzled hair and doleful face, Mr. Hall excelled as government and military officials with urgent agendas as well as Hollywood and business executives with ulterior motives. He played enough judges to form a bar association, but the hint of menace in his voice also made him effective as old-school hoods and others on the fringes of society.

But it was Philip’s 1991 appearance on Seinfeld that really kicked off his career in TV and film:

“Before Bookman, my agent would say, ‘Well, they really liked your work, they really love you, but they don’t think you’re right for this,’” he told the A.V. Club. “After Bookman, there was no door closed to me in the industry. My agent would say, ‘Everybody wants to see you. Everybody wants you to be in their movie, everybody wants you to be on their show.’

“It was kind of incredible,” he added. “I’m not putting it down. It’s just that when people say, ‘I loved you as Bookman,’ I can’t help but think, ‘But what about the other 280 roles I’ve done?’ I don’t say it, though. Because with Bookman, I kind of hit the jackpot.”

Rest in peace, ya tough monkey!

Pic: New Line Cinema