Celebrity Biographies
Philip Baker Hall
A regular in the filmography of Paul Thomas Anderson, he also played one of the most beloved supporting characters on the sitcom “Seinfeld.” Actor Philip Baker Hall died of emphysema at the age of 90 at his residence in Glendale, California on June 12, 2022.
Born in Toledo, Ohio, on September 10, 1931, Philip Baker Hall studied at the university in his city. He then joined the army, being posted to Germany as a translator. He began working as an actor in his thirties, encouraged by his wife to pursue his dream. He first appeared in various productions of the New York theater. He then made his film debut, as a restaurant owner, in the forgotten film Zabriskie Point .
Philip Baker Hall lavished himself on the small screen, as a supporting role in the series M*A*S*H* and Falcon Crest, among others. He gave life to Lieutenant Joe Bookman, in charge of library security, in a celebrated episode of Seinfeld . The character was so well accepted that he returned in the final chapter.
The actor met Paul Thomas Anderson when he worked at PBS, the American public broadcaster, as a production assistant. Under his orders, Philip Baker Hall starred in the short Cigarettes & Coffee , and participated in Sydney , the director’s debut feature, as the mentor of John C. Reilly ‘s character . He recruited her for his next jobs, Boogie Nights and Magnolia . Throughout his long career, he has appeared in titles such as Zodiac , The Truman Show and Like God .
Divorced from Mary-Ella Holst, with whom he had two daughters, Philip Baker Hall married Holly Wolfle, who gave birth to two more.