Linal Haft (born 23 March 1945 in

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

) is an English

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

, 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 #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British 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 Ea ...

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

Biography

Haft made his acting debut in an episode of ''

Homicide Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...

'' as Harry Bruce in 1968. He went on to play his second role later the same year, as Adams in an episode of ''

Contrabandits ''Contrabandits'' is a 1967 Australian TV series about the work of the customs department.Albert Moran, ''Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series'', AFTRS 1993 p 126 References External links''Contrabandits''at IMDb''Contrabandits''at AustLit ...

''. From 1968 to 1978, he had many more roles, including Curly in an episode of ''

Riptide A rip tide, or riptide, is a strong offshore current that is caused by the tide pulling water through an inlet along a barrier beach, at a lagoon or inland marina where tide water flows steadily out to sea during ebb tide. It is a strong tidal flo ...

'' (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 Blecha ...

'' (1976); as the

blackmail Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to fa ...

er and hard-man Brian Frederick Fischer in ''

The Sweeney ''The Sweeney'' is a 1970s British television police drama 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 Ins ...

'' episode ''"Money, Money, Money"'' (1977) and as Cookson in two episodes of '' Armchair Thriller'' (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 Comics * ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series * Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...

''. 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 network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...

drama series '' Ripper Street''. He,

Frank Mills Frank Mills (born June 27, 1942) is a Canadian pianist and recording artist, best known for his solo instrumental hit "Music Box Dancer". Early life and education Mills was born in Montreal, Quebec. He was raised in Verdun, Quebec and started pl ...

and Paul Brooke are the only actors to appear in both the classic and new versions of '' Minder'', but starring in different roles in each.

Theatre
His live work includes his much lauded performance as Arnold Beckoff, the Harvey Fierstein role, in the groundbreaking A.I.D.S. and LGBT play, Torch Song Trilogy.

Selected filmography

* '' I, Claudius '' (1976) * ''

Jesus of Nazareth (TV series) ''Jesus of Nazareth'' ( it, Gesù di Nazareth) is a 1977 British-Italian epic film and television drama serial directed by Franco Zeffirelli and co-written by Zeffirelli, Anthony Burgess, and Suso Cecchi d'Amico which dramatizes the birth, life ...

'' (1977) * ''

'' (1977) * '' Birth of the Beatles'' (1979) * '' Minder'' (1982) * ''

The Professionals A professional is someone who is skilled in a profession. Professional or professionals may also refer to: * Professional sports Music *The Professionals (band), a British punk rock band formed in 1979 * ''The Professionals'' (The Professionals ...

'':
A Man Called Quinn
' (1983) * ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused on ...

'' (1985-2009) * '' Shine On Harvey Moon'' (1982-4) * '' First Among Equals'' (1986) * '' Escape from Sobibor'' (1987) * '' The Charmer'' (1987) * ''

Soft Fruit A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, rasp ...

'' (1999) * '' The Three Stooges'' (2000) * ''

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

'' (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 consists ...

'' (2001) * ''

The Man Who Sued God ''The Man Who Sued God'' is a 2001 Australian comedy film starring Billy Connolly and Judy Davis, and directed by Mark Joffe. The film was a financial success, debuting at number one at the Australian box office in the week of its launch. Plot ...

'' (2001) * ''

Liquid Bridge ''Liquid Bridge'' is a 2003 Australian film starring Ryan Kwanten. The film concerns aspiring pro surfer Nick McCallum (Kwanten), who is held back from achieving fame by his disabled father. However, after being framed for smuggling drugs and j ...

'' (2003) * '' The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant'' (2005) * ''

'' (2006) * ''Tu£sday'' (2008) * ''

'' (2010–2011) * '' New Tricks'' (2011) * ''Frozen Moments'' (2011) * ''Naked Before the World'' (2011) * ''

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

'' (2012) * ''

Doctors Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

'' (2020)

References

External links

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