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Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Magnolia” gives nearly all of its large ensemble cast, which includes Tom Cruise, with moments in the spotlight where they unveil remarkable performances, but Philip Baker Hall earns several standout scenes in the course of the 1999 film. Cast as Jimmy Gator, the terminally ill and alcoholic host of a children’s game show, Hall is tasked with lifting some ponderous emotional weight — Jimmy wants to make up for his past failings, including the abuse of his daughter (Melora Walters) — and shoulders the burden with quiet desperation and determination.
Hall came to fame late in life: though he appeared on television and in features throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he didn’t enjoy widespread acclaim until the end of the latter decade, when a powerful turn as Richard Nixon and a recurring part on “Seinfeld” as library cop Lt. Bookman put him on many viewers’ radars. He began collaborating with Anderson soon after, and appeared in “Hard Eight” and “Boogie Nights.” His world-weary face and persona drew in other filmmakers as well, and led to appearances in “The Rock,” “The Truman Show,” “Zodiac,” “Rush Hour,” and “Argo.”
Hall also worked on television, appearing on “Modern Family,” “BoJack Horseman,” and “Messiah,” which proved to be his final screen appearance. He died of emphysema at the age of 90 at his home in Glendale, California on June 12, 2022. Hall wasn’t the only one of Cruise’s “Magnolia” castmates to pass away: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jason Robards, Ricky Jay, Henry Gibson, and Danny Wells all died in the decades since its release.
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