It's been a sad beginning to the year with the loss of two acting greats.
First, my favourite actor
Hal Holbook (1925-2021), a Tony winner, five-time Emmy winner and Oscar nominee (1925-2021).Hal performed his original one-man show 'Mark Twain Tonight' all around America for more than 60 years - each night producing a different show based on his encyclopedic knowledge of Twain's entire works! He also played film and TV Presidents, Senators, lawyers, priests and villains, including starring as President Lincoln himself in the original mini-series. A wonderfully wise and intelligent man as well as a mesmerising actor. I previously wrote a piece about Hal here For more info, here is his wiki entry
Only a couple of weeks later
Christopher Plummer (1929-2021). Many women swooned over him as Baron
Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, but I thought he was sexiest as Sir
Charles Lytton, the jewel thief in Return of The Pink Panther. However
this Canadian star did so much more as well with an illustrious
international stage and screen career spanning seven decades. Here is Christopher's wiki entry.
I have the autobiographies of both men and they are superbly honest and well written. Hal in particular seemed determined to tell the truth at all costs. Interestingly both grew up without fathers yet ended up often playing patriarchal or authoritarian figures. Moreover both made it to their 90s with stage and screen careers spanning seven decades. Extraordinarly though it seemed they never actually worked together. though their paths must have almost crossed multiple times.
Each was an inspiration in his own right, but particularly Hal.
