Latest news with #HalLinden
The Sun
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Legendary actor, 94, and star of 70s police sitcom looks unrecognizable on rare outing – can you guess who it is?
A LEGENDARY actor has stepped out for an outing - but can you guess who he is? The actor, 94, was a huge star of a popular 70s police sitcom, and now looks so different from his dapper role as a cop. 6 He played the role of Captain Barney Miller in the hit series Barney Miller, which aired from 1975 until 1982. The role even earned him seven Primetime Emmy nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations. In the series, his character had a full head of brown hair with gray strands dotted throughout. He also sported a luscious brown moustache. Have you guessed who he is yet? You've got it, it's Hal Linden, whose real name is Harold Lipshitz. The beloved TV icon was spotted out on Wednesday and kept things casual in a rather relaxed outfit. Hal could be seen rocking an all-black outfit comprising of trousers and a smart button-down shirt. He completed the look with some black trainers and a gray jacket. Holding a flask, Hal looked concentrated as he walked around Los Angeles. 00s reality star looks completely unrecognizable from 'wild' days as she trades in hard partying for tradwife lifestyle Hal shot to fame on Broadway when he replaced Sydney Chaplin in the musical Bells Are Ringing. He was married to Fran Martin, whom he met in 1955. They married in 1958 and had four children. Fran sadly died in 2010. Speaking about his role as Barney in the hit police sitcom, Hal was interviewed in 2017. Speaking to Vulture, he spoke about the comedic value of the show. "It does fit, because we used to cut lines from the script. "There'd be a punchline and we'd do the scene, and you'd find out that all you had to do was cut back to a physical reaction. "They were just as funny as the words." He went on: "We'd cut punchlines all the time. Yes, I think minimalist is a good description of the writing. "There's very few 'jokes' in Barney Miller. It was all relationship humor." As well as his role in Barney Miller, Hal is known for his guest roles in several other films and TV shows. Hal has had guest appearances in Touched by an Angel, The King of Queens, Gilmore Girls, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. 6 6 6
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Actor from iconic 70s police sitcom looks unrecognizable during rare outing... can you guess who?
Fans of classic television were in for a treat this week when one of the most iconic sitcom stars of the 1970s was spotted out and about in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The legendary actor, now 94, became a household name as the calm and commanding Captain Barney Miller in the hit series Barney Miller, which ran from 1975 to 1982. Looking spry, the TV veteran kept it casual in a relaxed outfit—a far cry from his days in uniform as the head of New York's fictional 12th precinct. The outing was a far cry from his early Broadway roots, when he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in 1971 for his portrayal of Mayer Rothschild in The Rothschilds. Of course, longtime fans know his talents extend far beyond sitcoms, with memorable guest roles in Touched by an Angel, The King of Queens, Gilmore Girls, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent—and even earlier, he got his start as a big band musician growing up in the Bronx. So… can you guess who it is? to 1982. Looking spry, the TV veteran kept it casual in a relaxed outfit—a far cry from his days in uniform as the head of New York's fictional 12th precinct If you said Hal Linden, you're absolutely right! In a 2017 interview with Vulture, Linden was asked about Barney Miller's distinctive tone and whether its understated comedic style could be described as 'minimalist.' 'It does fit, because we used to cut lines from the script,' Linden said. 'There'd be a punchline and we'd do the scene, and you'd find out that all you had to do was cut back to a physical reaction. They were just as funny as the words. He added, 'We'd cut punchlines all the time. Yes, I think minimalist is a good description of the writing. There's very few "jokes" in Barney Miller. It was all relationship humor.' Linden also reflected on how Barney Miller stood out for its realism, especially compared to the flashy cop shows of the time. 'The cop who wrote cop books, Joseph Wambaugh, said exactly the same thing. He said the closest thing to reality was Barney Miller, because most of the time you're on the phone, filing papers, filling out reports, gathering or disseminating informationl' he told the outlet at the time. He added: 'I once asked a police officer — I think he was a detective — 'How many times have you fired your weapon in anger?' I asked a lot of cops that. I think the highest number I ever had was two. 'Most of them said they'd never fired their weapons, so all the pictures of Telly Savalas or other TV cops firing off rounds on Kojak and so forth, were ridiculous. That's why real police never identified with Kojak. 'It wasn't police work. Police work is grunt work.' Linden was born on March 20, 1931, in The Bronx, New York. His decades-long career has spanned music, stage, and screen, showcasing his versatility as a performer. In addition to his iconic TV role on Barney Miller, he made lasting contributions to educational programming and earned multiple Emmy Awards. Even in later years, Linden remained active, releasing a jazz album in 2011 and continuing to appear in theater and television projects. He guest-starred on hit shows like The King of Queens, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Hot in Cleveland, and played key roles in films such as A New Life and Time Changer. On stage, he returned to Broadway in The Gathering and toured nationally in Tuesdays with Morrie.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Actor Hal Linden, 94, Reveals Surprising Reason Why 'Barney Miller' Ended
Barney Miller star Hal Linden opened up about the end of his iconic sitcom 43 years ago. During a June 2025 appearance with his former co-star Max Gail at The Hollywood Show in Burbank, CA, Linden, 94, revealed that the police-themed sitcom was not canceled by ABC when it ended its eight-season run in 1982. The actor explained that showrunner Danny Arnold decided to end the series because he couldn't find any writers amid the turnover of his writing team. 'The last year, Danny called us all together and said 'Listen, we're having writing problems, finding new writers,' Linden recalled, per Remind magazine. 'So, he said, 'I'm going to solicit scripts from everywhere — colleges, anywhere, anybody who thinks they're a writer.'" "And he went away for a month, and that's what he did," the actor continued. "He solicited scripts from any writing source to see if he could find writers. And a month later, he came back and said, 'Guys, there's no reason to do this show unless we can do it right. And I cannot find writers.'' Linden previously told Archive of American Television that after Arnold suffered health problems, he was unable to oversee the ever-changing writing team. 'He didn't have his hands on anymore that closely as he did in the beginning when every word went through Danny to make sure that it was perfect,' Linden explained. 'And so, in the next-to-last year, he wanted to close the show because he was having trouble finding writing sources.' Barney Miller aired on ABC from 1975 to 1982. Linden played Captain Barney Miller in the Emmy-winning series set a New York Police Department in Greenwich Village, while Gail played Officer Stan 'Wojo' Wojciehowicz. The hit series also featured Abe Vigoda, Ron Glass, Jack Soo, Gregory Sierra, James Gregory, Steve Landesberg, Ron Carey, and Barbara Barrie. The series finale, titled 'Landmark: Part 3,' featured the staff receiving reassignment orders as their precinct prepared to close Hal Linden, 94, Reveals Surprising Reason Why 'Barney Miller' Ended first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 10, 2025
