Philip Baker Hall Dead at 90; Many TV Roles Included The Loop, Seinfeld
Veteran character actor Philip Baker Hall, whose TV credits includes The Loop, Modern Family and Falcon Crest, died on Sunday. He was 90.[pmc_inline_gallery]
“My neighbor, friend, and one of the wisest, most talented and kindest people I’ve ever met, Philip Baker Hall, died peacefully last night. He was surrounded by loved ones,” Hall’s friend and Los Angeles Times reporter Sam Farmer shared on Twitter. “The world has an empty space in it.”
Having not started acting until age 30, Hall first guested on myriad TV series such as Good Times, Man From Atlantis, M*A*S*H and Quincy ME, before landing a role in the 1987 prison drama Mariah. He also appeared in multiple episodes of Family Ties, Falcon Crest, Civil Wars, The Practice and Seinfeld (as library cop Lt. Joe Bookman).
In 1997, he was cast in David Caruso’s short-lived NYPD Blue follow-up, Michael Hayes, followed by an arc on Pasadena, episodes of Everwood and then Fox’s 2006 workplace comedy The Loop.
In more recent years, Hall has popped up in episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Modern Family, Second Chance (fka The Frankenstein Code) and the 2020 Netflix thriller Messiah.
On the big screen, Hall was a part of the SAG Award-nominated casts for Magnolia and Boogie Nights, while his other film credits included Paul Thomas Anderson’s debut feature, Hard Eight, The Sum of All Fears, The Rock and Dogville.
He was amazing in everything he did, but he’ll always hold a special place in my heart as Seinfeld’s library cop. RIP, Mr. Hall.
His was that face of perpetual character actors that you felt safe with, that class of rocks that made any show/movie good…like an old friend, and he was so handsome, as a lady, I felt his masculine “sturdiness” and it was good…like hot tea on a cold winter night.
The Library Cop – I love that Seinfld episode. He was awesome – RIP
He’ll always be Bookman. I remember the writers of that episode talked about how they tried to nail the speech pattern of Jack Webb as Friday, and boy did they nail it. Right, Joy Boy Jerry? Flashy, making the scene? As Jerry looks down at his red shirt and jeans. Hall was brilliant. En Paz Descanse sir!
rest in peace
His library cop performance was amazing. Definitely one of the top scenes in all of Seinfeld.
RIP. Great character actor.
I loved him as Chewbacca.
You’re not alone. Almost, but not quite.
Legendary, he will be misses.
Great In everything, my favorite role of his was Hard Eight
R. I.P.
Russ from The Loop. The mouth on that character.
RIP