Linal Haft (born 23 March 1945) is an English

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

, best known for playing controlling or manipulative characters in both film and television, most notably his role as businessman Harry Gold in the popular

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...

'' from 2010 to 2011. He is sometimes credited as Lionel Haft.

Biography

Haft made his acting debut in an episode of ''

Homicide Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a Volition (psychology), volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from Accident, accidenta ...

'' as Harry Bruce in 1968. He went on to play his second role later the same year, as Adams in an episode of '' Contrabandits''. From 1968 to 1978, he had many more roles, including Curly in an episode of '' Riptide'' (1969); Don in an episode of ''

The Squirrels The Squirrels are a novelty pop band based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1984 by lead vocalist Rob Morgan (founder, as well, of the ''Poplust'' zine), the band went through numerous lineups, but has stuck to the aesthetic that Peter Blech ...

'' (1976); as the

blackmail Blackmail is a criminal act of coercion using a threat. As a criminal offense, blackmail is defined in various ways in common law jurisdictions. In the United States, blackmail is generally defined as a crime of information, involving a thr ...

er and hard-man Brian Frederick Fischer in ''

The Sweeney ''The Sweeney'' is a British police drama television series focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London. It stars John Thaw as Detective ...

'' episode ''"Money, Money, Money"'' (1977) and as Cookson in two episodes of ''

Armchair Thriller ''Armchair Thriller'' is a British television drama series broadcast on ITV in 1978 and 1980 in two seasons. Taking the form of a sequence of unconnected serials, scripts for ''Armchair Thriller'' were adaptations of published novels and storie ...

'' (1978). He appeared as Monty Fish in the second series of ITV's post-war comedy drama '' Shine on Harvey Moon'' in 1982. Haft also appeared in an episode of Dempsey and Makepeace. He appeared in three separate episodes of The Bill (1985, 1998 and 2007), portraying a different character in each. Haft accepted the role of Reno in the 2006 thriller film ''

Solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''Star Wars Legends'' continuity * Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), a ''Star Wars'' character * Napoleon Solo, fr ...

''. Haft portrayed Harry Gold in the British soap opera ''

'', from 23 June 2010 until late November 2010. He returned on 29 August. In February 2013 he played Joseph Lavender in the

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

drama series '' Ripper Street''. In 2023, Linal appeared as American Navy deserter Petty Officer Frank Doherty in '' NCIS: Sydney'' Series 1 Episode 4 – Ghosted. He, Frank Mills and

Paul Brooke Paul Brooke (born 22 November 1944) is a retired English actor. He made his film debut in 1972 in the Hammer film '' Straight on till Morning'', followed by performances in '' For Your Eyes Only'' (1981), ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983), ''Scanda ...

are the only actors to appear in both the classic and new versions of ''

Minder A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds". Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...

'', but starring in different roles in each.

Theatre

His live work includes his much lauded performance as Arnold Beckoff, the

Harvey Fierstein Harvey Forbes Fierstein ( ; born June 6, 1952) is an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter, known for his distinctive gravelly voice. He gained notice for his theater work in '' Torch Song Trilogy'', winning both the Tony Award for Best ...

role, in the groundbreaking A.I.D.S. and LGBT play, Torch Song Trilogy.

Selected filmography

* '' I, Claudius'' (1976) * '' Jesus of Nazareth (TV series)'' (1977) * ''

'' (1977) * ''

Birth of the Beatles ''Birth of the Beatles'' is a 1979 American biographical film, produced by Dick Clark Productions and directed by Richard Marquand. It was shown as a TV film on ABC in the United States, and received a theatrical release in other countries. T ...

'' (1979) * Comedians (BBC) (1979) * * * ''

'' (1982) * '' The Professionals'':
A Man Called Quinn
' (1983) * '' Matlock'' season 2 episode 2 * ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, "Woodentop (The Bill), Woodentop" (part of the ''Storyb ...

'' (1985–2009) * '' Shine On Harvey Moon'' (1982–4) * ''

First Among Equals is a Latin phrase meaning first among equals. It is typically used as an honorary title for someone who is formally equal to other members of their group but is accorded unofficial respect, traditionally owing to their seniority in office. H ...

'' (1986) * '' Escape from Sobibor'' (1987) * '' The Charmer'' (1987) * '' Roger and the Rottentrolls'' series 2 episode 9 (1997) * ''

Soft Fruit ''Soft Fruit'' is a 1999 comedy drama film about a dying mother and her children who come together to fulfill her last wishes. It is an Australian American co-production produced by New Zealand filmmaker Jane Campion and directed by Christina A ...

'' (1999) * ''

The Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy. Six total ...

'' (2000) * ''

Moulin Rouge! ''Moulin Rouge!'' (, ) is a 2001 jukebox musical romantic drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. It follows an English poet, Christian, who falls in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge, cabaret actress and courtesan ...

'' (2001) * ''

He Died with a Felafel in His Hand ''He Died with a Felafel in His Hand'' is a purportedly non-fiction autobiographical novel by Australian author John Birmingham about his experiences as a share housing tenant, first published in 1994 by The Yellow Press (). The story consist ...

'' (2001) * '' The Man Who Sued God'' (2001) * '' Liquid Bridge'' (2003) * '' The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant'' (2005) * ''

'' (2006) * ''Tu£sday'' (2008) * ''

'' (2010–2011) * ''

New Tricks ''New Tricks'' is a British television police procedural comedy drama, created by Nigel McCrery and Roy Mitchell, produced primarily by Wall to Wall (until its final year, when it was handled by Headstrong Pictures), and broadcast on BBC On ...

'' (2011) * ''Frozen Moments'' (2011) * ''Naked Before the World'' (2011) * ''

Death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...

'' (2012) * ''

Doctors Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded b ...

'' (2020) * '' NCIS: Sydney'' (2023)

References

External links

* Living people English male television actors People educated at Roundhay School 1947 births Male actors from Leeds {{England-screen-actor-stub