Philip Baker Hall (September 10, 1931 – June 12, 2022) was an American actor. Although known primarily as a prolific character actor, he starred in leading roles in films, such as Secret Honor, Hard Eight, and Duck.

His other supporting roles in films include ones in Say Anything…, Boogie Nights, The Truman Show, Magnolia, The Contender, Zodiac, and Argo.

Hall was born in Toledo, Ohio. His mother was Alice Birdene (née McDonald), and his father, William Alexander Hall, was a factory worker from Montgomery, Alabama. He attended the University of Toledo.

He served in Germany as a United States Army translator and as a high school teacher. He worked for Off-Broadway and Broadway productions in New York City.

Hall had two children with his first wife, Dianne Lewis. He married Holly Wolfle, and had two daughters, Adella and Anna. Hall died on June 12, 2022, at the age of 90.

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
1991 Silent Victim
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
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 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
2021 Checkered: Richard Nixon, False Consciousness, & The Reasons Behind The Reasons Behind Robert Altman’s ‘Secret Honor’ Himself Documentary
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