Philip Baker Hall obit

Philip Baker Hall, the Library Cop Lt. Bookman on ‘Seinfeld,’ Dies at 90

The busy actor also appeared in three Paul Thomas Anderson dramas and played Nixon in an acclaimed one-man play and Robert Altman film.

 

He was not on the list.

Philip Baker Hall, the journeyman character actor who was a favorite of director Paul Thomas Anderson but surely is best remembered for bringing library investigator Lt. Bookman to a 1991 episode of Seinfeld, has died. He was 90.

Hall died Sunday night at his home in Glendale, his daughter Anna told The Hollywood Reporter.

With his hangdog face and world-weary eyes, Hall looked as if he had seen it all and was using that knowledge to go forward. The everyman actor racked up more than 100 television appearances during his five-decade career, and one of his more endearing characters of late was Walt Kleezak, the cantankerous neighbor who befriends the young Luke Dunphy (Nolan Gould) on Modern Family.

Hall portrayed Richard Nixon in the acclaimed one-man play Secret Honor, then reprised the part of the disgraced president for director Robert Altman in a 1984 feature version. He also played 60 Minutes producer Don Hewitt in Michael Mann’s The Insider (1999) and had the unique distinction of appearing in two films about a notorious 1960s serial killer — The Zodiac (2005) and Zodiac (2007).

In October 2017, Hall starred alongside Ellen Geer on an episode of HBO’s Room 104.

Hall and Anderson first met on a PBS film when the director was working as a production assistant. “He was a fan of my work, so how could I not like him?” Hall said with a laugh during an April 2017 interview with The Washington Post. “We would talk and have cigarettes and coffee.”

Those conversations made quite the impression on Anderson, who crafted a script for a film that became his 1993 short, aptly titled Cigarettes & Coffee, starring Hall.

For his debut feature, Hard Eight (1996), Anderson showcased Hall as Sydney, a veteran card hustler who teaches the tricks of his trade to a younger protege (John C. Reilly).

“Philip Baker Hall has been in the movies since 1975 and has been on a lot of TV shows, even Seinfeld. “He’s familiar, in a way: He looks middle-aged and a little sad. And grown up,” Roger Ebert wrote in his review of the film. “Many Americans linger in adolescence, but Hall is the kind of man who puts on a tie before he leaves the house.

“He gave one of the great performances in American movies, in a one-man show, playing Richard Nixon in Robert Altman’s Secret Honor. 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.”

In Anderson’s Boogie Nights, the sweeping 1997 drama about the porn industry, Hall played adult film distributor Floyd Gondolli. And his poignant performance as Jimmy Gator, a children’s game show host dying of cancer, was one of the standouts of the director’s acclaimed Magnolia (1999).

Still, Hall’s most recognizable role came in the Seinfeld episode “The Library.” A dogged detective with a trench coat, his Joe Bookman relentlessly pursued Jerry in search of a library book — Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer— that was more than 20 years overdue. Hall’s take-no-prisoners delivery lent the perfect sense of absurdity to the situation.

“You’d better not screw up again, Seinfeld, because if you do, I’ll be all over you like a pit bull on a poodle,” Bookman warns Jerry.

The performance endeared the actor to the legion of Seinfeld fans.

As Hall told Rolling Stone in 2014, “It’s been over 20 years since we shot that episode, and I still can’t go out in public for very long before someone says, ‘My God, it’s Bookman!’ Or: ‘Are you Bookman? I returned that library book, I swear!’ It’s not just in New York or L.A.; it’s happened in a mall in the Midwest or even other countries where they air the show. The guy made an impression.”

The performance also made an impression on Hollywood. “It’s funny, Lt. Bookman was one of the last roles I ever auditioned for, simply because so many doors opened up after I did the show,” Hall said.

“I remember that Jerry had a hard time keeping a straight face during the reading. Usually, when you read for things, no one lets on too much, even if they like you. But people were fighting to control their laughter, so when I called my wife afterward, I told her, ‘There’s no such thing as a sure thing … but I’m pretty sure I got this part.”

Bookman made a return visit on the fabled sitcom’s finale that aired May 14, 1998.

Philip Baker Hall was born on Sept. 10, 1931, in Toledo, Ohio. He attended the University of Toledo and enlisted in the military, serving as an Army translator in Germany. Hall always had a penchant for performing but initially was hesitant to pursue such a risky career. Instead, after leaving the Army, he returned to Ohio and worked as a radio announcer and high school teacher.

Hall was 30 when his wife encouraged him to follow his dream. They moved to New York in 1961, and for the next decade, he built a career on the stage in such notable productions as The Skin of Our Teeth, featuring Helen Hayes, and J.B., starring John Cazale.

Hall’s film debut came in 1970 with an uncredited role in Michelangelo Antonioni’s Zabriskie Point.

In 1975, Hall relocated to Los Angeles to build a television career, and he went on to do it all — comedy (Good Times, M*A*S*H, Cheers, Empty Nest), drama (The Waltons, L.A. Law, Chicago Hope, The West Wing, Madam Secretary), mystery (Quincy M.E., Matlock, Murder, She Wrote, Monk), action (Man From Atlantis, Emergency!, Miami Vice, T.J. Hooker, Cagney & Lacey, Dark Justice) and voiceover (Baby Blues, The Life and Times of Tim, BoJack Horseman).

 

The dependable Hall joined Falcon Crest for its ninth and final season in 1989 as Ed Meyers, the attorney for Michael Sharpe (Gregory Harrison), and had recurring roles as a doctor on Family Ties, Everwood and Curb Your Enthusiasm and as a judge on Civil Wars and The Practice.

Secret Honor bowed at the Los Angeles Actors’ Theatre in 1983 and went on to successful runs in Boston, Washington and off-Broadway, where it earned Hall a Drama Desk nomination.

In a 1988 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Hall said he originally thought the Nixon monologues were too lengthy and turned down the role. “Then one night I got a vision of how to do it and called Bob [Harders, the director],” he said. “The thing is, the character’s got like six ideas going on all the time, and he can’t sort them out. He’s trying to say a number of things at the same time — many, if not all, that are contradictory. That was the hook.”

Hall’s film résumé also included Midnight Run (1988), Say Anything (1989), Ghostbusters II (1989), Air Force One (1997), The Truman Show (1998), Rush Hour (1998), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Bruce Almighty (2003), Dogville (2003), In Good Company (2005), Duck (2005), 50/50 (2011), Argo (2012) and The Last Word (2017).

He recently appeared on the Netflix series Messiah.

Hall was married twice and had four daughters, Anna, Adella, Trisha and Darcy — two from his first marriage to Dianne Lewis and two with his second wife, Holly (they were married for nearly 40 years). He told the Post in his 2017 interview that his kids ranged in age from 16 to 61. “This may not be a record, but it’s in the running,” he said.

Survivors also include his brother, Lee, and grandchildren Mike, Jeffrey, Jonathan and Caroline.

Film

Year    Title    Role    Notes

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    

1981 Dream On!              

1982 The Last Reunion    Mike Sills     

1984 Secret Honor           Richard Nixon         

1986 Nothing in Common          Colonial Airlines Executive          Uncredited

1987 Three O'Clock High            Detective Mulvahill          

1988 Midnight Run          Sidney           

1989 Say Anything...        IRS Boss       

1989 How I Got into College      Dean Patterson      

1989 Ghostbusters II       Police Commissioner        

1989 An Innocent Man   Judge Kenneth Lavet        

1991 Blue Desert Joe     

1992 Live Wire      Senator Thyme      

1993 Cigarettes & Coffee           Sydney          Short film

1994 The Last Laugh        William T.     Short film

1995 Kiss of Death           Big Junior Brown   

1996 Eye for an Eye         Sidney Hughes       

1996 Hard Eight    Sydney         

1996 The Rock       Chief Justice             Uncredited

1996 The Little Death      Detective Snyder   

1996 Hit Me           Lenny Ish     

1997 Buddy            Minister       

1997 Air Force One          U.S. Attorney General Andrew Ward  

1997 Boogie Nights          Floyd Gondolli        

1998 Sour Grapes             Mr. Bell        

1998 The Truman Show Network Executive           

1998 Judas Kiss     Pobby Malavero    

1998 Rush Hour    Captain Diel

1998 Enemy of the State            Mark Silverberg, Attorney           Uncredited

1998 Psycho           Sheriff Chambers  

1999 Let the Devil Wear Black Sol Hirsch    

1999 Cradle Will Rock     Gray Mathers         

1999 Implicated    John Swayer           

1999 The Insider   Don Hewitt

1999 Magnolia      Jimmy Gator           

1999 The Talented Mr. Ripley   Alvin MacCarron   

2000 Rules of Engagement        General H. Lawrence Hodges    

2000 The Contender        Oscar Billings          

2000 Lost Souls     Father James          

2001 Rush Hour 2             Captain Diel Scenes deleted

2002 The Sum of All Fears          Defense Secretary David Becker           

2002 A Gentleman's Game        Charlie Logan         

2003 Die, Mommie, Die!            Sol Sussman            

2003 Dogville         Tom Edison Sr.       

2003 Bruce Almighty       Jack Baylor  

2003 A House on a Hill    Harry Mayfield       

2004 In Good Company Eugene Kalb            

2005 The Matador           Mr. Randy   

2005 A Buck's Worth                   Voice

Short film

2005 Duck   Arthur Pratt

2005 The Amityville Horror       Father Callaway     

2005 The Zodiac    Chief Frank Perkins           

2006 The Shaggy Dog      Lance Strictland     

2006 The TV Set    Vernon Maxwell    

2006 Islander         Popper         

2007 Zodiac            Sherwood Morrill  

2007 You Kill Me   Roman Krzeminski            

2007 Rush Hour 3             Captain Diel Uncredited

2009 The Lodger   Captain Smith         

2009 Fired Up        Coach Byrnes          

2009 Wonderful World   The Man      

2010 All Good Things       Malvern Bump       

2011 The Chicago 8          Judge Julius Hoffman       

2011 Mr. Popper's Penguins     Franklin        

2011 50/50             Alan Lombardo      

2012 Bending the Rules Herb Gold    

2012 People Like Us         Ike Rafferty

2012 Departure Date       Old Jake       

2012 Dog Eat Dog             Old man        Short film

2012 Argo   CIA Director Stansfield Turner    Uncredited

2013 Bad Words   Dr. William Bowman        

2014 Playing It Cool         Granddad    

2017 Person to Person    Jimmy           

2017 The Last Word         Edward         

2018 Dear Chickens         Emil    Short film

Television

Year    Title    Role    Notes

1975 The Last Survivors              Television film

1975; 1978 Emergency! Oliver Warren / Dr. Scott             2 episodes

1976 Good Times Motel Owner           Episode: "J.J.'s Fiancee: Part 2"

1976 Mayday at 40,000 Feet!   Reporter       Television film

1976–77       Visions           Boyle / Severson    2 episodes

1977 Man from Atlantis George          Episode: "Man from Atlantis"

1977 The Hostage Heart             Dr. Harvey Fess       Television film

1977 Kill Me If You Can   Phillips           Television film

1977 M*A*S*H     Sergeant Hacker     Episode: "The Light That Failed"

1978 The Fitzpatricks      Bertram        Episode: "A Living Wage"

1978 The Bastard Shopkeeper Miniseries

1978 Terror Out of the Sky        Starrett         Television film

1979 Samurai         Professor Owens    Television film

1980 The Waltons            Major Gordon         Episode: "The Furlough"

1980 The Night the Bridge Fell Down Warren Meech        Television film

1980 It's a Living   Man in Hotel Room           Episode: "The Lois Affair"

1980 Riding for the Pony Express        Mr. Durfee   Television film

1981 This House Possessed       Clerk Television film

1982 McClain's Law         Mr. Harris     Episode: "Takeover"

1982 Quincy, M.E.            Deputy DA Marty Shell / Captain Rasmussen            2 episodes

1982 Cagney & Lacey      Lieutenant Sweeny            Episode: "Hot Line"

1982 T. J. Hooker Judge Wallace         Episode: "A Cry for Help"

1982 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers           Prosecutor / Wilcox           2 episodes

1982 Games Mother Never Taught You         Lester Greene         Television film

1984 Benson          Harrison Fowler      Episode: "The Election"

1984 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

1987 Mariah          James Malone         7 episodes

1987 The Spirit      Sevrin            Television film

1987 Miami Vice   Judge DeLaporte    Episode: "Contempt of Court"

1988 Goddess of Love     Detective Charles   Television film

1988 Family Ties   Dr. Harrison             3 episodes

1989 A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story      Judge Blumenfeld Television film

1989 Incident at Dark River       Dr. Leo Manus         Television film

1989–90       Falcon Crest             Ed Meyers    13 episodes

1990 Matlock         Judge Episode: "The Mother"

1990 Bagdad Cafe            Herb   Episode: "This Bird Has Flown"

1991 Murder, She Wrote           Len Costner Episode: "Moving Violation"

1991 L.A. Law        Tom Baker    Episode: "He's a Crowd"

1991 Equal Justice            Judge S.E. Cleveland          Episode: "Do the Wrong Thing"

1991 Dark Justice Winchester Keller Episode: "The Neutralizing Factor"

1991–92       Civil Wars     Judge Bianchi          3 episodes

1991; 1998 Seinfeld         Lt. Joe Bookman     2 episodes

1992 A Thousand Heroes           Sam Gochenour      Television film

1992 Stormy Weathers   Dr. Comden Television film

1992 Nurses           Mr. Todd       Episode: "Playing Doctor"

1993 Cheers           City Councilman Kevin Fogerty Episode: "Woody Gets an Election"

1993 Bob     Jeweler          Episode: "Have Yourself a Married Little Christmas"

1994 M.A.N.T.I.S. 'Smitty'          Television film

1994 Empty Nest Jerod Episode: "Brotherly Shove"

1994 The Good Life          Mr. Humphreys      Episode: "Melissa the Thief"

1994 Roswell         Roswell General     Television film

1994 Madman of the People     Kent   Episode: "All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Mad Boy"

1994 Chicago Hope          Mr. Wellington       Episode: "You Gotta Have Heart"

1994 Hardball        Beanball McGee     Episode: "Lee's Bad, Bad Day"

1994 Without Warning   Dr. Kurt Lowden     Television film

1996 Life's Work   Judge Conklin          Episode: "Contempt"

1996 The John Larroquette Show        Mr. Frank      Episode: "Napping to Success"

1997 3rd Rock from the Sun      President Dewey    Episode: "Proud Dick"

1997 The Practice             Judge Joseph Vinocour     4 episodes

1997–98       Millennium Group Elder 2 episodes

1997–98       Michael Hayes         William Vaughn      20 episodes

1998 Tempting Fate         Dr. Bardwell             Television film

1998 Witness to the Mob          Toddo Aurello         Television film

1998 L.A. Doctors Vincent Cattano      Episode: "Fear of Flying"

1999 Partners        Scarpatti       Pilot

2000 The Fugitive             Stuart Kimble          Episode: "St. Christopher's Prayer"

2000 Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis            Aristotle Onassis    Television film

2000; 2002 Baby Blues   Mr. Thompson / Mr. Saunders (voices)           2 episodes

2001 Pasadena      George Reese Greeley      7 episodes

2001 Loomis                       Episode 1.1: "Pilot"

2002 Path to War Everett Dirksen       Television film

2002 Night Visions           Dennis Brascom (segment "Cargo")     Episode: "Cargo/Switch"

2002 Without a Trace      Noah Ridder            Episode: "Silent Partner"

2003 Everwood     Dr. Donald Douglas            3 episodes

2004 Monk             Salvatore Lucarelli Episode: "Mr. Monk Meets the Godfather"

2004 Boston Legal            Ernie Dell      Episode: "Head Cases"

2004 The West Wing       Senator Matt Hunt            2 episodes

2004; 2009 Curb Your Enthusiasm      Dr. Morrison            2 episodes

2005 Mrs. Harris   Arthur Schulte         Television film

2006–07       The Loop       Russ McDonald       17 episodes

2007 Big Love        Ned Johanssen        Episode: "Take Me as I Am"

2007 Wildlife                     Pilot

2008 Psych Irving Parker            Episode: "Dis-Lodged"

2008 Worst Week            Reverend Lowell     2 episodes

2009 True Jackson, VP     Mr. Jenkins   Episode: "Flirting with Fame"

2010 The Life & Times of Tim    Norman Walker (voice)    Episode: "London Calling/Novelist"

2010 Warren the Ape      Dr. Ralph Schwartz            Episode: "Rock Opera"

2011–12       Modern Family       Walt Kleezak            3 episodes

2012 The Newsroom       Bryce DeLancy         Episode: "The 112th Congress"

2012 Childrens Hospital Josef Mengele         Episode: "A Year in the Life"

2012 Ruth & Erica             Harry 8 episodes

2013 Clear History            McKenzie      Television film

2014 Rake   Mitch Markham      Episode: "Remembrance of Taxis Past"

2014 Altman          Himself          Documentary

2015 Madam Secretary Ezra Helsinger         Episode: "The Necessary Art"

2015 BoJack Horseman   Hank Hippopopalous (voice)       2 episodes

2016 Second Chance       Old Jimmy Pritchard          5 episodes

2017 Room 104     Charlie           Episode: "My Love"

2018 Corporate     Arthur Stockheed   Episode: "Powerpoint of Death"

2020 Messiah        Zelman Katz             6 episodes (final role)