Saul Holden
Encyclopedia
Saul Holden is a fictional character
on the American
primetime drama series Brothers & Sisters. He is played by actor Ron Rifkin
.
's older brother, and works at Ojai Foods, the Walker family business. He has never been married. He was born on August 11, 1938, making him 72 years old.
(portrayed by Patricia Wettig
) until he identified himself as homosexual. Saul had a relationship in Season 5 with a man named Jonathan (portrayed by Richard Chamberlain
), who Saul said he loved despite the fact he might have been the one who infected him with HIV
. Saul and Jonathan began to date in Season 5.
Saul had a brief relationship with Holly Harper
, William Walker's former mistress, following William's death. Although this briefly caused friction between Saul and Nora, Saul's feelings toward Holly were in fact ambiguous; it was never fully clear whether his intentions were romantic, platonic or business-related.
In the season finale, it was revealed that Saul once spent a romantic weekend in Key West
with another man, an old friend named Milo who reappears at Kitty
and Robert
's engagement party after an absence of 20 years. He tells Saul that he has finally come out
as gay
. The exact nature of Saul's sexuality
remained ambiguous, though the storyline was developed further in season two.
Saul has often expressed regret for not starting a family of his own and that he is now too old to do so.
Another important clue concerning Saul's sexual orientation turned up in the episode with Kitty and Robert's wedding. At the wedding reception, Holly and Saul have a conversation at the bar about their past intimate relationship. Holly remarks about how Saul keeps lamenting that he always wanted a family of his own, and how she wishes it had happened for him. Saul suggests that maybe their past relationship could have developed further, but Holly says that she could tell that Saul just wasn't that into her, and that while he may have gone through the motions, he obviously was never "feeling it". Holly proceeds to tell him, "I know men," and that she knew he was not interested in her. She tells him that everyone should be able to be with who they love, carefully avoiding the use of either masculine or feminine pronouns.
In episode 2.15, Saul finally comes out to his openly gay nephew, Kevin Walker
, after getting arrested for drunk driving. He tells Kevin that he has missed his entire life and he wants to be happy as a gay man, like Kevin.
During the finale, Saul becomes irate at the fact Kevin and Scotty take HIV testing so lightly, and his annoyance is concern to the young couple. Having never been tested and nervous after discovering a former lover is positive, Saul secretly goes to a local hospital alone to learn that people can live with HIV/AIDS asyptomatically. He is tested and, after Nora pushes him the next morning, calls for his results. He assures her "I'm fine." During the final scene, the Walkers are involved in an enormous car accident in which almost every member of the family is injured. When Kevin, bleeding from an open wound on his hand, runs to Saul, bleeding from an open wound on his head and covered with blood, Saul exclaims, "Don't touch me! You can't," indicating that Saul, most likely, is HIV-positive.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
primetime drama series Brothers & Sisters. He is played by actor Ron Rifkin
Ron Rifkin
Ron Rifkin is an American actor. He is best-known for his roles as Arvin Sloane on the spy drama Alias and as Saul Holden on the American family drama Brothers & Sisters.-Personal life:...
.
Background
Saul is Nora WalkerNora Walker
Nora Maureen Holden Walker is a fictional character on the television drama, Brothers & Sisters. She is portrayed in the series by veteran actress Sally Field. Nora is the main character of the series...
's older brother, and works at Ojai Foods, the Walker family business. He has never been married. He was born on August 11, 1938, making him 72 years old.
Personal life
Saul once dated Holly HarperHolly Harper
Holly Harper is a fictional character on the American television drama series Brothers & Sisters. She was played by actress Patricia Wettig.-Background:...
(portrayed by Patricia Wettig
Patricia Wettig
Patricia Wettig is an American actress and playwright. She is best known for her roles in the television series Thirtysomething, Prison Break and Brothers & Sisters...
) until he identified himself as homosexual. Saul had a relationship in Season 5 with a man named Jonathan (portrayed by Richard Chamberlain
Richard Chamberlain
George Richard Chamberlain is an American actor of stage and screen who became a teen idol in the title role of the television show Dr. Kildare .-Early life:...
), who Saul said he loved despite the fact he might have been the one who infected him with HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
. Saul and Jonathan began to date in Season 5.
Season 1
Saul and Nora are very close. He helped her when her husband died, and defended her from their mother's criticism at her birthday party.Saul had a brief relationship with Holly Harper
Holly Harper
Holly Harper is a fictional character on the American television drama series Brothers & Sisters. She was played by actress Patricia Wettig.-Background:...
, William Walker's former mistress, following William's death. Although this briefly caused friction between Saul and Nora, Saul's feelings toward Holly were in fact ambiguous; it was never fully clear whether his intentions were romantic, platonic or business-related.
In the season finale, it was revealed that Saul once spent a romantic weekend in Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
with another man, an old friend named Milo who reappears at Kitty
Kitty Walker
Katherine Anne "Kitty" Walker is a fictional character on the primetime showBrothers & Sisters. She is played by actress Calista Flockhart...
and Robert
Robert McCallister (Brothers & Sisters)
Robert Alexander McCallister was a fictional character on the ABC television program Brothers & Sisters. He was played by actor Rob Lowe. He was believed to be of Scottish origin...
's engagement party after an absence of 20 years. He tells Saul that he has finally come out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
as gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
. The exact nature of Saul's sexuality
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
remained ambiguous, though the storyline was developed further in season two.
Season 2
In the episode "36 Hours", Saul acknowledged to his sister Nora that many years ago he was in love with a man.Saul has often expressed regret for not starting a family of his own and that he is now too old to do so.
Another important clue concerning Saul's sexual orientation turned up in the episode with Kitty and Robert's wedding. At the wedding reception, Holly and Saul have a conversation at the bar about their past intimate relationship. Holly remarks about how Saul keeps lamenting that he always wanted a family of his own, and how she wishes it had happened for him. Saul suggests that maybe their past relationship could have developed further, but Holly says that she could tell that Saul just wasn't that into her, and that while he may have gone through the motions, he obviously was never "feeling it". Holly proceeds to tell him, "I know men," and that she knew he was not interested in her. She tells him that everyone should be able to be with who they love, carefully avoiding the use of either masculine or feminine pronouns.
In episode 2.15, Saul finally comes out to his openly gay nephew, Kevin Walker
Kevin Walker (Brothers & Sisters)
Kevin Herbert Walker is the name of a fictional character on ABC's family drama Brothers & Sisters. He is portrayed by actor Matthew Rhys. In a two-part 2010 episode, actor Kasey Campbell played a teenage Kevin in flashback sequences set in 1986....
, after getting arrested for drunk driving. He tells Kevin that he has missed his entire life and he wants to be happy as a gay man, like Kevin.
Season 4
Despite previously having been linked romantically with a man named Henry, Saul identifies as single through the season.During the finale, Saul becomes irate at the fact Kevin and Scotty take HIV testing so lightly, and his annoyance is concern to the young couple. Having never been tested and nervous after discovering a former lover is positive, Saul secretly goes to a local hospital alone to learn that people can live with HIV/AIDS asyptomatically. He is tested and, after Nora pushes him the next morning, calls for his results. He assures her "I'm fine." During the final scene, the Walkers are involved in an enormous car accident in which almost every member of the family is injured. When Kevin, bleeding from an open wound on his hand, runs to Saul, bleeding from an open wound on his head and covered with blood, Saul exclaims, "Don't touch me! You can't," indicating that Saul, most likely, is HIV-positive.