Harris Yulin, best known for his roles in Scarface and Ghostbusters II, has died at age 88, his family announced.
The acclaimed actor starred in over 130 productions, including Bean (1997) and the long-running supernatural series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
His stint as Jerome Belasco, a crime boss on the beloved sitcom Frasier, earned him a Primetime Emmy Award in 1996.
Yulin was not only a prolific star of the silver screen but was also known for his roles on Broadway, including Hedda Gabler and The Diary of Anne Frank.
He died on June 10 in New York City of a cardiac arrest, confirmed his family, according to Deadline.
Yulin was due to start production on new MGM TV series American Classic as Linus Bean in a matter of weeks.
He would have had a starring role in the series alongside Kevin Kline and Laura Linney and was reportedly delighted to be taking part.
Director Michael Hoffman shared: ‘Harris Yulin was very simply one of the greatest artists I have ever encountered.
‘His marriage of immense technique with an always fresh sense of discovery, gave his work an immediacy and vitality and purity I’ve experienced nowhere else. And what he was as an actor, he was as a man, the grace, the humility, the generosity.
‘All of us at American Classic have been blessed by our experience with him. He will always remain the beating heart of our show.’
Yulin was a prolific actor, cropping up in TV and film across the last 20 years, bringing a menacing authority or comedic edge to his roles.
Fans will have seen his familiar face crop up constantly in movies like Clear and Present Danger, Training Day and of course Scarface.
(Picture: Eric Liebowitz/Netlix/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)
In the 1983 Brian De Palma classic, Yulin appeared as corrupt cop Mel Bernstein, who was working for villain Frank Lopez.
Most recently, he had a memorable run in Netflix’s Ozark as Buddy Dieker — aka Jimmy Small — who had ties to the mob and a questionable background.
This was a stark difference from his roles in Veep and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, where the star could flex his comedy chops freely.
He was born in Los Angeles on November 5, 1937, and made his debut appearance in New York at 26 years old in Next Time I’ll Sing to You by James Saunders.
It was another 17 years before his Broadway debut in Watch on the Rhine, dark comedy-drama set against the backdrop of a World War II.
Yulin’s last Broadway performance was over 20 years ago in the 2001 production of Hedda Gabler, although he took to the stage again in 2010 as Willy Loman in Death of A Salesman in Dublin, Ireland.
Yulin survived by wife Kristen Lowman, as well as son in law Ted Mineo, nephew Martin Crane, and godchildren Marco and Lara Greenberg.
His daughter Claire Lucido, who was an actress, died in 2021.
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