Woke today to the stunning news that Hal Holbrook died (actually on Jan. 23, according to his NY Times Obituary).

To me, he was no ordinary actor. He was Mark Twain, author Samuel Clemens, late in life turned speaker on the worldwide circuit to replace earnings lost on failed investments. Holbrook was 29 when he donned the makeup and white suit to inhabit the Twain character. Holbrook brought his one-man show, Mark Twain Tonight, to off Broadway in 1959 and last performance on Broadway in 2005 at age 80. He last performed Twain in 2017.

I estimate that I saw Mark Twain Tonight live at least 15 times. No two performances were the same. Remarkably, in the two hour live show, he mimicked the best of improvisational comedy. That is, he read the audience and delivered what they needed to hear — giving the gift of laughter in the first half and groans and squirming for conservative audiences as Twain blasted the hypocrisy of “Christians” in the closing half of the evening.

Mark Twain Tonight was much more than humor. Twain’s eloquent prose was showcased by Holbrook, the consummate actor.

He recorded three albums of material and one taped TV hour-long performance. As an alternative to final exams in some university courses I taught, I showed the TV video. It was welcome relief during a stressful time.

I was a fan of the men — Holbrook performing his tour de force plucking sketches from the writing of Twain told with storytelling mastery.

Being a fan made me an idiot. I thought I could not be smitten with celebrity. But with Holbrook, I confess I was a fool. It was Dr. Ruth (of WBI anti-bullying fame) who pushed me to go backstage post-performances to thank him for his work. I couldn’t do it. I even waited on steps in a line where I could see him greeting audience members and I backed down. Not one prone to shyness, I managed to melt and duck out rather than thank the actor whose work I admired greatly. After three tries, Ruth gave up.

My son, while in college, worked on booking campus shows at UC Berkeley. He knew about his dad’s Twain affinity and Holbrook cowardice. So, he booked the show Mark Twain Tonight. I thought that I’d get to see yet another performance. But so much more happened. I was designated to be Mr. Holbrook’s chauffeur and assistant for his three days surrounding the performance. I picked him up at the airport (said he “good God, they are sending PhDs to pick me up now!”), delivered him to his hotel, had dinners with him, and accompanied him to TV and radio interviews. My starstruck paralysis faded fast. He was such a genuine person, even giddy on the phone with his new (3rd) wife, actress Dixie Carter. He shared new juxtapositions for Twain material with me for his upcoming performance. I was invited to the post-performance dinner with his hosts, people from the Twain Library.

Harold Rowe Holbrook, Jr. had a great long run. It was my good fortune to have had our paths cross, however briefly.

requiescat in pace