People Are Remembering The Late Character Actor Philip Baker Hall, Especially His Jaw-Dropping Turn As Lt. Bookman On ‘Seinfeld’

Philip Baker Hall was a great actor — a theater god who didn’t do his first movie until he was almost 40, who didn’t get his first big role until he was over 50, and who only became a big name when he was pushing 70. When word of his passing at 90 years old broke on Monday, people remembered his incredible turns in films like Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, and Magnolia (all for Paul Thomas Anderson), as well as Say Anything…, Zodiac, Argo, and so many more. Some pointed to the one-man film Secret Honor, in which he played Richard Nixon having a 90-minute meltdown.

To many, though, Hall’s most beloved work came on the small screen. In 1991, he appeared on Seinfeld on the Season 3 episode “The Library” — one of the show’s best — in which Jerry learns he has a mysterious outstanding fine at the New York Public Library. At one point he’s visited by the NYPL’s investigations officer, who’s actually named Lt. Bookman and who’s played by Hall. It’s maybe the series’ best scene. Part of the reason is that Hall plays him as a hard-boiled detective out of ‘40s pulp fiction, all rapid-fire accusations punctuated by dramatic finger-pointing. Seinfeld himself looks like he’s struggling not to laugh.

Hall’s passing led many on social media to share the clip, or to simply fawn over, as Patton Oswalt put it, “hands down, the greatest guest spot in a sitcom, ever.”

— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) June 13, 2022

Heartbreaking news. I know a lot of folks will (rightfully) cite his film work, but I was just watching his episode of Seinfeld last night and I maintain that Philip Baker Hall’s Mr Bookman is one of my favorite things in the entirety of the show. RIP. https://t.co/xTmU4qMjE7 pic.twitter.com/rd2LRnRI87

— the morally corrupt juan barquin (@woahitsjuanito) June 13, 2022