Who did Philip Baker Hall play in Seinfeld? Iconic roles explored as beloved character actor dies aged 90

On Sunday, June 12, Modern Family and Seinfeld actor Philip Baker Hall passed away at the age of 90. The news of his demise was shared by the Los Angeles Times sports reporter Sam Farmer, who took to Twitter to announce the event. Later, the late actor’s wife, Holly Wolfle Hall, confirmed the news to the Associated Press as well.

In Farmer’s tweet, he mentioned that the actor passed away on Sunday night in the presence of his family at his residence in Glendale, California. He wrote:

“My neighbor, friend, and one of the wisest, most talented, and kindest people I’ve ever met, Philip Baker Hall, died peacefully last night.”

Meanwhile, Holly Wolfle Hall disclosed to the AP that Hall’s illness developed over the last few weeks and that he reflected on his life with “warm spirits” in the last few days.

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What happened to Philip Baker Hall?

According to Hall’s daughter Anna’s statement to The New York Times, Hall had “complications of emphysema.” The condition reportedly affects the air sacs of the lungs and weakens them to the point that it causes shortness of breath. As per the Mayo Clinic’s description of the condition:

“ Over time, the inner walls of the air sacs weaken and rupture — creating larger air spaces instead of many small ones. This reduces the surface area of the lungs and, in turn, the amount of oxygen that reaches your bloodstream.”

The Mayo Clinic further stated that supplemental oxygen is standard for patients with emphysema, as they might have a low oxygen count in their bloodstream. In most cases of emphysema patients needing oxygen, they would have to carry portable canisters with tubes going to their nasal cavity.

Philip Baker Hall was known to have carried a portable oxygen cylinder with him over the last couple of years. His oxygen cylinder was also featured as a part of his character’s prop in Modern Family. In 2017, Hall also attended the premiere of his film, The Last Word, with his portable oxygen cylinder, which made headlines then.

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What is Philip Baker Hall known for?

The Toledo, Ohio native was known for his extensive roles in Hollywood in a career that spanned over five decades since his debut in 1970. Prior to his foray into professional acting, Baker worked as a high school teacher and radio announcer. He was also stationed in Germany during his tenure with the US Army.

By the time he was 30, Philip Baker Hall had begun his career in Broadway shows in New York before he embarked on acting in television roles. Following numerous roles in TV movies and appearances in episodes as one-off characters, Hall received his breakthrough role in 1984’s Secret Honor as former US President Richard Nixon.

The nonagenarian actor later appeared in the first three feature films of Paul Thomas Anderson, including 1999’s hit Magnolia. In 2007, Hall appeared in a prominent role in David Fincher’s Zodiac.

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Seinfeld and Modern Family

Hall was also known for his prominent role in the hit US sitcom Seinfeld, where he portrayed “library cop” Joe Bookman in two episodes. The character appeared in the series’ finale in 1998.

Later, the actor appeared in Modern Family in 2011 as the old neighbor of the Dunphys, Walt Kleezak. The character was shown to have befriended the youngest sibling of the Dunphy family, Luke. Hall had appeared in three episodes of the show.

Philip Baker Hall had garnered over 150 credited roles in his career, with his last one being in the TV series Messiah as Zelman Katz. The 2018 LA Shorts Fest winner is survived by his four children from two marriages and multiple grandchildren.