Alon Aboutboul has died after he collapsed on a beach in Tel Aviv.
The Israeli actor, 60, was one of the country’s best-known stars, spending two decades mainly appearing in Israeli productions before being cast in Hollywood blockbusters like Munich, The Dark Knight Rises and London Has Fallen.
However, it’s now been reported he’s died after going swimming at a beach.
The publication N12 has reported that he was found dead on HaBonim Beach in Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning. His representative later confirmed his death to Metro.
According to Ynet, a beachgoer said: ‘It happened in an instant. He went into the water and everything seemed perfectly fine. After a few minutes, he suddenly came out of the water, approached people and said he wasn’t feeling well, and then they called for help.’
‘Everyone was really scared, he came out of the water and collapsed on the beach. Everyone wanted to help, and they recognised who it was when he came out of the water. This is a terrible tragedy here this morning, everyone here is in a big shock.’
After he collapsed on the beach, Aboutboul received CPR but could not be revived.
His cause of death is not immediately known.
Soon after Israeli Culture and Sport Minister Miki Zohar paid tribute to the actor, posting on X: ‘I was deeply pained to hear of his sudden death.
‘Last night I watched an interview with him, where he talked about filming a movie he recently participated in, and the passion for the profession that radiated from him was evident even after so many years in the field.
‘Alon was an Ophir Award and Television Academy Award winner and over the years portrayed a wide range of characters to which he brought depth and emotion, leaving a deep mark on Israeli culture. May his memory be blessed.’
Born in Kiryat Ata to parents of Algerian and Egyptian descent, Aboutboul had over 100 film and TV credits to his name.
After graduating from high school in 1983, his first screen role came three years later – in the 1986 movie, Ricochets.
Other films he went on to feature in included Two Fingers from Sidon, Every Time We Say Goodbye and Makom L’Yad Hayam.
It was in 1988 that Hollywood came calling, with Aboutboul playing Nissem in Rambo III.
Subsequent American movies he was seen in were Killing Streets, Deadly Heroes and The Order.
In 2005 he appeared in Steven Spielberg’s Munich – a film about the Mossad assassinations following the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Then, in 2008, he acted alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott’s Body of Lies.
In 2012 he appeared in another blockbuster – playing Dr. Leonid Pavel in The Dark Knight Rises.
Since then Aboutboul had been seen in Septembers of Shiraz with Salma Hayek and Adrien Brody, in which he played a revolutionary guard.
The next year he played an arms dealer turned terrorist mastermind alongside Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman in London Has Fallen.
On the small screen he also appeared in shows including the Israeli programmes Shabbats and Holidays, Harem, and Sirens, as well as Homeland, Snowfall, Twin Peaks, The Leftovers, and FBI: International.
Earlier this year he also announced the release of new music.
Just last night he’d reposted a photo of a beach on his Instagram account.
Aboutboul is survived by his wife, Shir Bilia, and their four children. They lived in Israel and Los Angeles.
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