If you were to look at a picture of Hal Holbrook without knowing who he was, you might not immediately tag him as an actor. With his blandly handsome and strait-laced appearance, he gave off the appearance of someone who was the head of the local Rotary club or maybe a mid-level government functionary. However, when Holbrook opened his mouth, there was no doubt that he was born to be an actor, and he proved to be an unusually gifted one in an award-winning career that spanned more than seven decades. He played everything from historical figures to ordinary guys to equally convincing effect, and, in one memorable case, brought one of the great enigmas of our time to vivid life.