Harris Yulin
Yulin in Dynasty (1976)
Born(1937-11-05)November 5, 1937
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedJune 10, 2025(2025-06-10) (aged 87)
New York City, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1963–2025
Spouses
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1975; died 1993)​
      Kristen Lowman
      ​
      (m. 2005)​
      Children1

      Harris Bart Goldberg (November 5, 1937 – June 10, 2025), known professionally as Harris Yulin, was an American actor who appeared in over a hundred film and television series roles including Night Moves (1975), St. Ives (1976), Scarface (1983), Ghostbusters II (1989), Clear and Present Danger (1994), Looking for Richard (1996), Bean (1997), The Hurricane (1999), Training Day (2001), Ozark (2017–2018) and Frasier, which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1996.[1]

      Early life and education

      Yulin was born in Los Angeles on November 5, 1937. Abandoned at an orphanage as an infant, he was adopted by dentist Isaac Goldberg and his wife Sylvia when he was four months old, and given the name Harris Bart Goldberg. When he began a performing career, he took the stage surname "Yulin" from his adoptive father's extended Russian Jewish family.[2]

      Yulin attended the University of Southern California, but did not graduate. He enlisted in the United States Army for a year[2] and then moved to Florence, Italy, where he tried working as a painter, saying in 2000 he was "extremely bad at it." In 1962, he was living in Tel Aviv, Israel when his friends encouraged him to try acting and he began appearing in small shows. When he returned to the United States, he met acting coach Jeff Corey with connections from his father's dental career and began studying acting.[3][2]

      Career

      Acting

      Yulin made his New York debut in 1963 in Next Time I'll Sing to You by James Saunders and continued to work frequently in theater throughout his career.[4] His Broadway debut came in the 1980s Watch on the Rhine. He returned to Broadway multiple times in productions of The Visit, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Price, and Hedda Gabler.[5] In 2010, he played Willy Loman in Death of A Salesman at the Gate Theatre in Dublin, Ireland.[6]

      His first film role was his portrayal of Wyatt Earp in Doc (1971), starring Stacy Keach as Doc Holliday. He appeared in the Brian De Palma film Scarface (1983) as corrupt cop Mel Bernstein. In 1989, he played the role of Judge Stephen Wexler in Ghostbusters II. He portrayed a corrupt national security advisor in the 1994 Harrison Ford thriller Clear and Present Danger. In 1997, he played the role of George Grierson in Bean. He appeared as Leon Friedman, a lawyer of Rubin Carter, in the 1999 film, The Hurricane. In 2001, he portrayed Secret Service Agent Sterling in Rush Hour 2.

      Film critic Jim Emerson once quipped that Yulin "should be in every movie ever made".[7]

      On television, Yulin appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the episode "Duet". During the second season of the television series 24, he played the Director of the National Security Agency, Roger Stanton. He was nominated for a 1996 Emmy Award for his portrayal of crime boss Jerome Belasco in the sitcom Frasier. In the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, he played Quentin Travers, head of the Watchers' Council. Yulin also appeared in Season 3 of Entourage in the episode "Return of the King" as studio head Arthur Gadoff. In 2009, he performed in The People Speak, a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans, based on historian Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States.[8][9] In 2010 he appeared in the AMC series Rubicon. In 2017 to 2018 he appeared in 12 episodes of Ozark.[10]

      At the time of his death, Yulin had been cast in the MGM+ comedy series American Classic in the role of Linus; he died days before he was scheduled to begin filming his scenes.[11]

      Beyond acting

      Yulin won the Lucille Lortel Award for directing The Trip to Bountiful at the Signature Theatre in New York with Lois Smith.[12] He directed and taught in New York City: at Juilliard for eight years; at Columbia University's The Graduate School of the Arts; and at HB Studio.[13]

      Personal life and death

      Yulin dated Faye Dunaway from 1971 to 1972.[14] He and actress Gwen Welles were married until her death in 1993. Yulin's daughter, Claire Lucido, was the wife of artist Ted Mineo. Lucido died January 31, 2021.[15][13]

      His second marriage was to Kristen Lowman, an actress; they lived in Bridgehampton, New York.[16] Yulin died from cardiac arrest in New York City, on June 10, 2025 at 87.[13]

      Filmography

      Film

      Film appearances of Harris Yulin
      Year Title Role Notes
      1970 Maidstone
      End of the Road Joe Morgan
      1971 Doc Wyatt Earp
      1972 The Legend of Hillbilly John Zebulon Yandro
      1974 The Midnight Man Casey
      Watched! Gordon Rankey
      1975 Night Moves Marty Heller
      1976 St. Ives Detective Carl Oller
      1977 Prime Time a.k.a. American Raspberry Charles Conlin
      1979 Steel Eddie Cassidy
      1983 Scarface Chief Detective Mel Bernstein
      1986 Short Fuse Chief Harrigan
      1987 Candy Mountain Elmore Silk
      The Believers Robert Calder
      Fatal Beauty Conrad Kroll
      1988 Bad Dreams Dr. Berrisford
      Judgment in Berlin Bruno Ristau
      Another Woman Paul
      1989 Ghostbusters II Judge Stephen Wexler
      1990 Narrow Margin Leo Watts
      1992 Final Analysis Prosecuting Attorney Uncredited
      There Goes the Neighborhood Marvin Goes
      1994 Clear and Present Danger James Cutter
      1995 Stuart Saves His Family Dad
      The Baby-Sitters Club Harold
      Cutthroat Island Black Harry
      1996 Looking for Richard Himself / King Edward Documentary
      Loch Ness Dr. Bob Mercer
      Multiplicity Dr. Leeds
      1997 Murder at 1600 General Clark Tully
      Bean George Grierson
      1999 Cradle Will Rock Chairman Martin Dies
      The Hurricane Leon Friendman
      2000 The Million Dollar Hotel Stanley Goldkiss
      75 Degrees in July Rick Anderson
      2001 Perfume Phillip
      Rush Hour 2 Agent Sterling
      American Outlaws Thaddeus Rains
      Training Day Detective Doug Roselli
      Chelsea Walls Bud's Editor
      The Emperor's Club Senator Bell
      2004 King of the Corner Peter Hargrove
      2005 Game 6 Peter Redmond
      2006 The Treatment Dr. Arnold Singer
      Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus David Nemerov
      2009 The People Speak Himself
      2010 My Soul to Take Dr. Blake
      2012 The Place Beyond the Pines Judge Albert Cross
      2014 A Short History of Decay Bob Fisher
      2015 The Family Fang Hobart Waxman
      2016 The American Side Tom Soberin
      Norman Joe Wilf
      2017 The Sounding Lionel
      2018 All Square Bob
      Wanderland Charles
      2024 Omni Loop Professor Duselberg

      Television

      Television appearances of Harris Yulin
      Year Title Role Notes
      1970 Neither Are We Enemies Barabbas Television film
      1973 Incident at Vichy Doctor Leduc
      The ABC Afternoon Playbreak John Connors Episode: "The Mask of Love"
      1974 The American Short Story Parker Adderson Episode: "Parker Adderson, Philosopher"
      Kojak Bert Podis Episode: "Die Before They Wake"
      Barnaby Jones Porter Long Episode: "Conspiracy of Terror"
      Melvin Purvis: G-Man George "Machine Gun" Kelly Television film
      The Greatest Gift Hog Yancy
      The Missiles of October Alexander Fomin
      1975 Ironside Sam North Episode: "A Matter of Life of Death"
      The Trial of Chaplain Jensen Lieutenant Kastner Television film
      Little House on the Prairie John Stewart Episode: "Child of Pain"
      Caribe Peter Brady Episode: "The Assassin"
      Baretta Detective Grissom Episode: "The Glory Game"
      The Kansas City Massacre John Lazia Television film
      S.W.A.T. Paul Julian Episode: "Vigilante"
      Police Woman Benny Hummel Episode: "The Hit"
      1976 Dynasty John Blackwood Television film
      Insight Bradley Knight Episode: "His Feet Don't Stink"
      Most Wanted Billy Wilcox Episode: "The Skykiller"
      Victory at Entebbe General Dan Shomron Television film
      1977 Wonder Woman Mark Bremer Episode: "Wonder Woman in Hollywood"
      1978 When Every Day Was the Fourth of July Prosecutor Joseph T. Antonelli Television film
      1978–1979 How the West Was Won Deek Peasley 6 episodes
      1979 The Thirteenth Day: The Story of Esther Haman Television film
      1979–1981 Meeting of Minds Leonardo da Vinci/William Shakespeare 4 episodes
      1984–1985 As the World Turns Michael Christopher
      1985 Robert Kennedy and His Times Senator Joseph McCarthy Episode: "#1.1"
      1986 Cagney & Lacey Ross O'Brien Episode: "Revenge"
      1989 Tailspin: Behind the Korean Airliner Tragedy Gen. Tyson Television film
      1990 Daughter of the Streets John Franco
      1990–1991 WIOU Neal Frazier 16 episodes
      1991 Face of a Strangers David Television film
      1992 The Heart of Justice Keneally
      Civil Wars Nicolo Nicolai Episode: "Dan Boat House"
      1993 The Last Hit Wilbur Bryant Television film
      Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Aamin Marritza Episode: "Duet"
      1994, 2008 Law & Order Stanley Devon / Edward Manning Episode S4:E16: "Big Bang"

      Episode S19:E2: "Challenged"

      1995 Truman General George C. Marshall Television film
      1996 Frasier Jerome Belasco Episode: "A Word to the Wiseguy"
      If These Walls Could Talk Professor Speras Segment "1974"
      1997 Murphy Brown The Jackal Episode: "You Don't Know Jackal"
      La Femme Nikita Gregory Kessler / Norris Gaines Episode: "Gambit"
      Hostile Waters Admiral Quinn Television film
      1997–2001 American Experience Narrator Documentary; 2 episodes
      1998 American Masters Episode: "Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note"
      1999 Vengeance Unlimited Judge Harold Wabash Episode: "Judgment"
      1999–2002 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Quentin Travers 3 episodes
      2000 The Virginian Judge Henry Television film
      The X-Files Cardinal O'Fallon Episode: "Hollywood A.D."
      2002–2003 24 Roger Stanton 9 episodes
      2003 Mister Sterling Chairman Wilson 3 episodes
      2005 Third Watch Jonathan Turner 2 episodes
      2007 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Thomas M. Grady Sr. Episode: "Players"
      Entourage Arthur Gatoff Episode: "The Return of the King"
      2008 Cashmere Mafia Rafe Gropman 2 episodes
      Canterbury's Law Chris Canterbury Episode: "Trade-Off"
      2009 Loving Leah Rabbi Belsky Television film
      Damages Claire's father Episode: "Uh Oh, Out Come the Skeletons"
      2010 Rubicon Tom Rhumor 2 episodes
      Madso's War Jim O'Connor Television film
      2011 Pan Am Henry Belsen Episode: "Unscheduled Departure"
      2011–2012 Nikita Admiral Bruce Winnick 3 episodes
      2013 Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight William O. Douglas Television film
      2015 Forever Eli Swier Episode: "Hitler on the Half-Shell"
      The Blacklist Sir Crispin Crandall 1 episode
      2016 Veep James Whitman 2 episodes
      2016–2017 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Orson Snyder 5 episodes
      2017–2018 Ozark Buddy Dieker 12 episodes
      2018–2019 Billions Leonard Funt 3 episodes
      2018 Murphy Brown Professor Talbot 2 episodes
      2019 For the People Peter Daum Episode: "Minimum Continuing Legal Education"
      Divorce Gordon 4 episodes
      2020 I Know This Much Is True Father LaVie 1 episode
      2022 FBI: Most Wanted Grant Moore Episode: "Karma"
      2025 And Just Like That... Pop Pop Episode: "Apples to Apples"

      References

      1. ↑ "Awards for Harris Yulin". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
      2. 1 2 3 Roberts, Sam. "Harris Yulin, Actor Who Perpetually Played the Bad Guy, Dies at 87". The New York Times. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
      3. ↑ McKinley, Jesse. "A Good Run for Actor Who Specializes in Bad". The New York Times. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
      4. ↑ Erickson, Hal (2016). "Harris Yulin biography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Rovi. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
      5. ↑ "Harris Yulin". ibdb.com. Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
      6. ↑ Jones, Kenneth (July 15, 2010). "Harris Yulin Is Salesman's Willy Loman in Ireland; David Esbjornson Directs". Playbill.com. Archived from the original on September 20, 2013.
      7. ↑ Emerson, Jim (December 14, 2012). "'I Saw a Rohmer Film Once...': The Truth Behind the Night Moves Meme". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
      8. ↑ "The People Speak At MOMA. Special Sneak Preview Screening!". PeoplesHistory.us. Voices of a People’s History. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
      9. ↑ "The People Speak (2009)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
      10. ↑ "Ozark season 2 cast: Who plays Buddy in Ozark? Who is actor Harris Yulin?". express.co.uk. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
      11. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (June 11, 2025). "MGM+'s 'American Classic' Remains In Production Following Star Harris Yulin's Death As Role Faces Likely Recasting & EP Mourns Actor". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
      12. ↑ Brantley, Ben (December 5, 2005). "There's No Place Like an Imaginary Home". The New York Times.
      13. 1 2 3 Evans, Greg. "Harris Yulin Dies: Star Of Broadway, TV & Film Was 87". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
      14. ↑ "Hollywood". New York Daily News. 31 May 1971. p. 116 – via Newspapers.com.
      15. ↑ Mineo, Ted (February 1, 2021). "I'm incredibly sad to share that my love Claire Lucido passed away last night..." instagram.com. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
      16. ↑ Warner, Georgia (June 26, 2018). "Harris Yulin Does Nixon At Bay Street". Dan's Papers. ... Yulin, who shares a home in Bridgehampton with his wife, actress Kristen Lowman...