Time moves on for all of us and at times, we may have to deal with the aging process in ways that we never thought necessary. Some people age gracefully, however, and Earl Holloman is a perfect example.
About eight decades ago, Earl Holloman was taking moviegoers to their seats in a theater in Shreveport, Louisiana. He worked in the theater but he really wanted to be a star.
Earl did have ambition so he continued to audition for one part after another, but he was constantly told that he didn’t look the part. Eventually, Paramount Studios would give him an opportunity.
When Earl Holloman was 15 years old, he hitchhike his way to Hollywood. He said: “I brought along a pair of dark sunglasses, which I associated with Hollywood, and, on my first day in Hollywood I went to Grauman’s Chinese Theater and I remember walking up and down the forecourt of Grauman’s [where movie stars put their handprints and footprints] in my dark glasses hoping everyone would wonder who I was. “I didn’t last long. I thought I’d be able to get a job, but I couldn’t get one.
Earl Holliman pic.twitter.com/M3r4MHHwvJ
— Hollywood Yesterday✨ (@HollywoodYeste1) December 29, 2023
At that point, he decided to go back home to finish high school. He joined the Navy and went to Los Angeles to a radiocommunication school. Being in Hollywood, however, brought back his first true love.
One interesting thing that Earl was told was that even if he was a good actor, he wasn’t handsome enough to be the leading man. He was also not offbeat enough to be a character actor. He fell somewhere in between.
His big break came when he was asked to be the star of Forbidden Planet. He said: “Well, when I sat in the barber’s chair…they cut my hair about a quarter of an inch long and in the front it laid down like bangs…and, with my big ears, my broken nose, my two front teeth, my little eyes and my funny-looking haircut, I was suddenly a character actor. Just like that.”
He admits that it is still his favorite film as it was the one that made a difference and took his career to a new level. Eventually, he landed another role, and then another.
He is more than somebody who loves acting, he also loves animals. He has taken care of a blind possum, healed dogs and cats that were injured and loves pigeons. He even admits that he feeds at least 500 of them a day.
It’s wonderful to know that this actor is still alive and kicking. He’s looking good for his age and we appreciate all he has done for us in life.