Hal Linden is a stage, TV and film actor. More than this, he is also a movie director and musician, releasing an album in what could be said to be the October of his life. To talk about Hal Linden is to go back to the Great Depression Era America and sail with the story up to date in a wavy line of art, awards, success, a slow-down, a family man, and whatnot.
Hal Linden was born in the Bronx
Hal Linden was born in New York City. His parents were immigrants, Charles and Frances Lipshitz, who came to the United States from Lithuania in 1910. Linden was born a Jew. The information we have only mentioned two kids born to Mr. and Mrs. Lipshitz, Hal and an older brother who went on to teach music in a university.
Linden must have known the direction his career was going early on as he went on to attend the High School of Music and Art. After this, he attended a few universities, finally earning degrees in music and business.
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Hal Linden was born Harold Lipshitz in March 1931. He took the name Hal Linden because he believed his given name wouldn’t “swing” to the poetry of fame.
Hal Linden was Barney Miller
Every big star has that one character that they played so well and, sometimes, so long that they are usually associated with them. For Hal Linden, it is Barney Miller. Barney Miller is the name of the title character in ABC’s TV series “Barney Miller” from the 1970s and early 1980s. The plot centers around Miller, a captain in a precinct in the New York Police Department.
For his role in this series, Linden fetched accolades including seven Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards (all nominations). He was so good in the show that one police officer wrote in the New York Times that “Many police officers maintain that the most realistic police show in the history of television was the sitcom Barney Miller.”
A huge deal.
Linden was in The Boys Are Back
Besides “Barney Miller”, Linden appeared in dozens of other TV series. One of them was as the lead character in “The Boys Are Back” the CBS series from 1995 which somehow failed to make it past the first season as it was canceled after 18 episodes, two of which went unaired.
Linden also worked as a TV host in the 1980s. He was the host of the ABC questions and answers show FYI. He was rewarded for his efforts with two Daytime Emmy Awards.
After TV, Linden’s other works were in films and also the Broadway where he featured in double-figure titles. He left the theater in 2002.
He lost his wife in 2010
Hal Linden met a beautiful dancer called Fran Martin while on tour in 1955. They dated for three years. Their dating relationship ended in 1958 when Martin became Linden’s wife. The two are blessed with four kids (including Nora Kathryn Linden, Amelia Christine Linden, Jennifer Dru Linden) in a marriage that lasted 42 years.
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When she passed away, Linden was 69 years old. It is not made public her cause of death. Of course, Linden never remarried.
Hal Linden is a spokesperson for the JNF
The Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 and they have played instrumental roles in the acquisition and development of lands for the State of Israel. Headquartered in Jerusalem, their membership comes from Jews from all the quarters of the earth.
Hal Linden has been the spokesman of this group with their 12 billion dollars assets since 1997.
The star released an album at 70
Growing up, Linden’s goal was to become a musician and a bandleader. This didn’t come through when the star became an entertainer. It was the theater and Hollywood that he made his name in. But dreams never die, nor do they fade away. After his phenomenal role as Barney Miller, the star tried to revive his music career for which he had some night club appearances. But this didn’t quite work for him.
But in 2001, aged 70, his dream came through. He released an album “It’s Never Too Late”, a combination of jazz, pop and Broadway-type songs. The music didn’t quite make the waves but his dream came true.
Hal Linden’s net worth is a cool amount
Hal Linden is a rich man at 88 and semi-retired from Hollywood. When put side by side by the number of stages, genres and years he has performed in or put into the industry, his net worth doesn’t seem like a good return. Hal Linden is worth two million dollars.
Image source: AP Images
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