Harris Yulin, the Emmy-nominated character actor known for his roles in “Scarface,” “Ghostbusters II” and dozens of other films and television shows, died June 10 of a cardiac arrest in New York City. He was 87.
Yulin’s death was confirmed by his manager, Sue Leibman, and family members in a statement.
Born November 5, 1937, in Los Angeles, Yulin was abandoned as an infant and left on the steps of an orphanage. He was adopted at four months old and raised in a Jewish household by a Russian family who gave him his surname. The actor later said the life-changing inspiration to become an actor came during his bar mitzvah, when he discovered he enjoyed performing before an audience while most of his friends found the experience uncomfortable.
After studying acting at UCLA, Yulin moved to New York to establish a theater career. He made his stage debut in 1963 opposite James Earl Jones and Estelle Parsons in the James Saunders play “Next Time I’ll Sing to You.” His Broadway debut came in 1980 with “Watch on the Rhine,” followed by productions including “The Price,” “The Visit,” “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “Hedda Gabler.”
Yulin made his film debut in 1970 with “End of the Road” and gained critical acclaim the following year, portraying Wyatt Earp opposite Stacy Keach’s Doc Holliday in the revisionist Western “Doc.” Film critic Roger Ebert praised both actors’ performances, noting their quiet projection of violence and fresh approach to Western characters outside the established Hollywood conventions.
Throughout his career spanning more than 100 credits, Yulin became known for portraying corrupt officials and authority figures. In Brian De Palma’s 1983 gangster epic “Scarface,” he played corrupt Miami detective Mel Bernstein, who attempted to extort money from Al Pacino’s Tony Montana. He portrayed a dismissive judge whose courtroom is decimated by spirits in 1989’s “Ghostbusters II” and appeared as a manipulative national security adviser in 1994’s “Clear and Present Danger.”
Other notable film roles included corrupt police officer Rosselli in “Training Day” (2001), a secret service agent in “Rush Hour 2” (2001), and a goofy scientist who creates multiple versions of Michael Keaton’s character in “Multiplicity” (1996). He also appeared in “Night Moves” (1975), “Another Woman” (1988), “Bean” (1997), and “Norman” (2016).
On television, Yulin earned a Primetime Emmy nomination in 1996 for his guest role as crime boss Jerome Belasco on the NBC sitcom “Frasier.” He appeared in recurring roles on numerous series, including “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” as Quentin Travers, head of the Watchers’ Council, and NSA director Roger Stanton on “24.”
In recent years, Yulin appeared on the Netflix series “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” as Orson, the father of David Cross’ character, and as Buddy Dieker, an eccentric old man with criminal connections, on “Ozark” from 2017 to 2018. His final television appearance came in a 2022 episode of “FBI: Most Wanted.”
Beyond acting, Yulin directed several theatrical productions, including “The Glass Menagerie,” “The Trip to Bountiful,” and “The Man Who Came to Dinner.” He shared his expertise as an instructor at prestigious institutions including Juilliard, Columbia University, and HB Studio.
In the weeks before his death, Yulin was preparing to begin production on the MGM+ series “American Classic,” starring Kevin Kline and Laura Linney. Director Michael Hoffman, who previously worked with Yulin on the 2005 film “Game 6,” expressed his admiration for the actor. Hoffman described him as “very simply one of the greatest artists I have ever encountered.”
Hoffman praised Yulin’s combination of technical skill with fresh discovery, stating that it gave his work immediacy, vitality and purity. The director noted that Yulin possessed the same grace, humility and generosity as a person that he displayed as an actor, and indicated he would remain the beating heart of their production.
Yulin’s family described him as part of a generation who cared passionately about the craft of acting, noting that his lifelong dedication resulted in extraordinary performances that served as gifts to audiences, fellow actors, and the art form itself. They also remembered him as an avid birder and lover of the sea.
The actor was married to actress Gwen Welles from 1975 until her death from cancer in 1993. He married actress Kristen Lowman in September 2005. Yulin is survived by his wife Lowman, son-in-law Ted Mineo, nephew Martin Crane, and godchildren Marco and Lara Greenberg. He was preceded in death by his daughter, actress Claire Lucido.