- Born
- Died
- Height1.68 m
- Philip Baker Hall was born in Toledo, Ohio, to Berdene (McDonald) and William Alexander Hall, a factory worker who was originally from Montgomery, Alabama. He did not start acting until he was 30 years old. Known to film fans for his turn as Richard Nixon in Robert Altman's one-man show film Secret Honor (1984), he shot to cult fame when he turned in another electrifying performance, as Sydney, the veteran gambler, in Paul Thomas Anderson's debut feature, Double Mise (1996). However, it was his work in the same director's star-studded Magnolia (1999) that really caught the mass film public's attention; his performance as the legendary quiz show presenter "Jimmy Gator" was highly acclaimed. These acclaimed smaller films led to Hall's casting in multiple blockbuster hits of the 1990s and 2000s, including La Somme de toutes les peurs (2002) and Dogville (2003), directed by Lars von Trier.- IMDb mini biography by: Oliver Tripp (oliertripp@hotmail.com)
- SpousesHolly Ruth Wolfle(1988 - June 12, 2022) (his death, 2 children)Dianne Lewis(1973 - 1976) (divorced)
- ParentsWilliam Alexander HallBerdene Hall
- Playing govenment/military officials (Air Force One (1997), Rock (1996), Sur le chemin de la guerre (2002))
- Raspy voice
- Cast as TV studio executives or affiliates ('The Truman Show (1998)', 'The Insider (1999)', 'Magnolia (1999)', 'Bruce Almighty (2003)').
- Did not start acting until he was 30 years old.
- Was drafted into the Army and served in Germany.
- Starred alone in Robert Altman's Secret Honor (1984), a fictional account of Richard Nixon's life after the White House, making him one of the few actors ever to carry an entire film completely by himself.
- Worked as a radio announcer and high school teacher prior to embarking on an acting career.
- Appeared in The Zodiac (2005) and Zodiac (2007), both about the serial killer nicknamed the Zodiac Killer.
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