Hal Linden (born March 20, 1931) is a Jewish-American stage and television actor and television director, best known for his Emmy-nominated role in the television comedy series Barney Miller, and as presenter on the ABC educational series Animals, Animals, Animals.
Born Harold Lipshitz in New York City of Jewish parents, Linden graduated from Manhattan's School of Performing Arts. He began his career as a clarinetist and dance band singer. He and...
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Hal Linden (born March 20, 1931) is a Jewish-American stage and television actor and television director, best known for his Emmy-nominated role in the television comedy series Barney Miller, and as presenter on the ABC educational series Animals, Animals, Animals.
Born Harold Lipshitz in New York City of Jewish parents, Linden graduated from Manhattan's School of Performing Arts. He began his career as a clarinetist and dance band singer. He and his violinist brother Bernie chose their stage names after spotting a gas storage tank in Linden, New Jersey written in huge letters.
His break-through on the New York stage came in 1962 when he was cast as Billy Crocker in the revival of Cole Porter's Anything Goes. He went on to a highly successful stage career, winning a Tony Award for his performance in the musical The Rothschilds.
In 1984 Hal carried the Olympic Torch and ran a portion of the Los Angeles segment. A close friend of the late Alan Jay Lerner, Linden performed in a tribute...
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