With that tanned face and that thoroughly gritty voice, he could play a seasoned detective or other seasoned professional with minimal effort. But Philip Baker Hall, who died on June 13 at the age of 90, in his best roles liked to play with the expectations his appearance aroused. He was a supporting actor on dozens of American TV shows, but did his best work for top directors such as Robert Altman and Paul Thomas Anderson.
A younger generation knows him earlier from a role in the series Seinfeld then as hard-boiled detective Joe Bookman, who chases after late returned library books with maximum effort (clips that are still popular on YouTube† Also a role as a grumpy doctor in Curb Your Enthusiasm (from Seinfeld creator Larry David) played with maximum effect.
Baker Hall met Anderson on the set of the short film Cigarettes & Coffeewhich would form the basis for Anderson’s feature film debut Hard Eight (1996) in which Baker Hall played an elderly gambler who takes care of a homeless man. But he was especially phenomenal in Anderson’s masterpiece Magnolia, as the threadbare quizmaster Jimmy Gator, who uses drink and drugs through the presentation of the children’s show What Do Kids Know? tries to hit.
A now unjustly forgotten role is his solo as Richard Nixon, who looks back on his scandal-filled life (initially played off-Broadway) and made into a 1984 film by Robert Altman. “I didn’t know this actor,” wrote noted critic Roger Ebert, “But Nixon is portrayed here with such ferocious intensity, passion, venom and scandal that it’s impossible to look away.”