Yiftach Klein (; born 28 September 1972) is an Israeli actor. He has been nominated for two

Ophir Award The Ophir Awards (), full name: the Israel Film Academy Award, sometimes also known as the Israeli Oscars or the Israeli Academy Awards, are film awards for excellence in the Israeli film industry awarded by the Israeli Academy of Film and Tele ...

s for Best Supporting Actor in 2007 for ''

Noodle Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures and made into a variety of shapes. The most common noo ...

'' and for Best Actor in 2011 for his role in ''

Policeman A police officer (also called policeman or policewoman, cop, officer or constable) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, ''police officer'' is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of ...

''.Yiftach Klein - awards
IMDB. Retrieved on 22 February 2020

Early life

He was born and raised in Batzra, a

moshav A moshav (, plural ', "settlement, village") is a type of Israeli village or town or Jewish settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists between 1904 and 1 ...

in Central Israel. He is the eldest of three brothers. The family later moved to

Rosh Pinna Rosh Pinna () or Rosh Pina, is a town in the Korazim Plateau in the Upper Galilee on the eastern slopes of Mount Kna'an in the Northern District of Israel. It was established as Gei Oni in 1878 by local Jews from Tzfat but was nearly abando ...

in the

Korazim Plateau The Korazim Plateau (, ''Ramat Korazim'', also spelled Corazim) is a volcanic plateau, located in northern Israel. The plateau is bounded between by the Hula Valley in the north, Sea of Galilee in the south, the mountains of the Galilee to the ...

in the

Upper Galilee The Upper Galilee (, ''HaGalil Ha'Elyon''; , ''Al Jaleel Al A'alaa'') is a geographical region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Part of the larger Galilee region, it is characterized by its higher elevations and mountainous terra ...

.www.atmag.co.il/יפתח-קליין-פרידה/ גבר הולך לאיבוד: יפתח קליין על הפרידה משירי ארצי
''Atmag''. 19 September 2017 He discovered acting and decided to pursue it as a profession after he was cast in his high school school play, "Days of Shadow". After graduating from high school, he was

conscripted Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...

into the

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...

. Afterwards he studied at the Nissan Nativ Acting Studio in

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...

Career

He spent the first years of his acting career in

repertory theatre A repertory theatre, also called repertory, rep, true rep or stock, which are also called producing theatres, is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom ...

. He got his breakout role at the age of 26 when in 1998 he appeared in the popular Israeli television series, '' Tironoot'' (''The Apprentices''). In 2011 he appeared alongside

Michael Aloni Michael Mark Aloni (or Alony; ; born 31 January 1984) is an Israeli actor, director, writer and television presenter. Regarded as one of the best performers of his generation in Israel, he is recognized for his versatile work across independent fi ...

Nadav Lapid Nadav Lapid () is an Israeli screenwriter and film director. Film critics consider him to be among the most internationally acclaimed filmmakers from Israel. Early life Lapid was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, to a family of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. ...

's drama film, ''

''. He was nominated for an

s for Best Supporting Actor for his role. In 2012 he appeared in '' Fill the Void'', a critically-acclaimed film focusing on the

Haredi Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...

community in Tel Aviv.

A. O. Scott Anthony Oliver Scott (born July 10, 1966) is an American journalist and cultural critic, known for his film and literary criticism. After starting his career at ''The New York Review of Books'', '' Variety'', and ''Slate'', he began writing film ...

praised his performance in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'': "As Yochay, Mr. Klein is a gentle, brooding presence and also an intriguing, at times almost frightening enigma." The film critic, Deborah Young, wrote in ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'': "Klein has a reserved masculinity that is never undermined by letting his sensitivity show through." In 2012 he also appeared in the Israeli short film, ''

Summer Vacation The term summer vacation or summer break refers to a school break in the summer between school years and the break in the school academic year. Students are off anywhere between two weeks to three and a half months. Depending on the country and ...

'', where Klein plays a man on vacation with his wife and children. However, he encounters his former gay lover. The film was shortlisted among ten competing for best short film at the

87th Academy Awards The 87th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2014 and took place on February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, beginning at 5:30 ...

in 2015. In 2017 he wrote, directed and acted alongside Tali Sharon in a play, "Slide Night" (ערב שקופיות) based on his own marriage and marital struggles. In 2018-2019, he starred alongside Angel Bonanni in the second season of ''

False Flag A false flag operation is an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on another party. The term "false flag" originated in the 16th century as an expression meaning an intentional misrep ...

''. The series was also part of the lineup of the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

in 2019. In 2023 he starred alongside

Tzachi Halevy Tzachi Halevy (or Tsahi HaLevi; ; born ) is an Israeli film and television actor and singer. Early and personal life HaLevi was born and raised in Petah Tikva, Israel, to an Israeli family of both Sephardi Jewish and Mizrahi Jewish descent.

in '' The Cops'' (''HaShotrim''). He has also directed a play in

Dimona Dimona (, ) is an Israeli city in the Negev desert, to the south-east of Beersheba and west of the Dead Sea above the Arabah, Arava valley in the Southern District (Israel), Southern District of Israel. In , its population was . The Shimon Pere ...

and managed a small theatre in

Kiryat Shmona Kiryat Shmona () is a city in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel on the western slopes of the Hula Valley near the Lebanon, Lebanese border. In it had a population of . Located near the Blue Line (withdrawal line), Israel ...

. On behalf of the

Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies is a philanthropic organization founded in 1987 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. History In 1987, Charles Schusterman and Lynn Schusterman, whose family business, Samson Investment, had gro ...

he spent a semester and a half at the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

, where he also taught.

Personal life

Klein met his future wife, Shiri Artzi, when they were both 23. She is the daughter of

Shlomo Artzi Shlomo Artzi (; born 26 November 1949) is an Israeli folk rock musician, composer, music producer, radio host and singer-songwriter. He is one of the most popular and successful musicians in Israel. Biography Shlomo Artzi was born on Moshav ...

. They married in 2013, when they were both 40. They separated in 2017 for 18 months and the experience inspired a book project by Artzi.Shiri Artzi and Yiftach Klein: "Even when we broke up, we had no doubt about our love"
YNET. 16 January 2023 They subsequently got back together.They have three children together. The family lives in Northern

.שירי ואני הסתדרנו בנפרד. עכשיו אנחנו פה מבחירה
''Mako''. 22 June 2023 In 2025 he expressed controversial support for a plan to ethnically cleanse the gaza strip.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Klein, Yiftach 1972 births Living people Israeli male film actors Israeli male television actors Jewish Israeli male actors Male actors from Tel Aviv 21st-century Israeli male actors