Yehuda Barkan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yehuda Barkan
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Yehuda Ezekiel Berkowitz
March 29, 1945 Netanya, Israel
|
| Died | October 23, 2020 (aged 75) |
| Years active | 1965 – 2020 |
Yehuda Barkan (Hebrew: יהודה בארקן; born March 29, 1945 – died October 23, 2020) was a famous Israeli actor, film producer, film director, and screenwriter. He was best known for his funny roles in Israeli comedy movies from the 1970s. He also produced and directed "prank films" using a candid camera in the 1980s.
Contents
About Yehuda Barkan's Life
Yehuda Ezekiel Berkowitz was born in Netanya, Israel. He later changed his last name to Barkan. His father was from Poland and his mother was from Czechoslovakia. They spoke Yiddish at home. Yehuda went to school in Netanya. During his time in the IDF, he served in a special engineering unit and also in a Military band.
Yehuda Barkan had four children from his first marriage. Later in his life, in the early 2000s, he became more religious. He moved with his family to a religious village called Beit Gamliel.
Sadly, Yehuda Barkan passed away on October 23, 2020. He got sick with COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel.
Yehuda Barkan's Music Career
After he finished his military service, Yehuda Barkan joined a group called the Dizengoff Command Band. This was a band made up of people who had been in military bands before. They performed songs and funny skits together.
Yehuda Barkan's Film and TV Work
In the early 1970s, Yehuda Barkan was part of a funny radio show. On the show, he and his friends would make live prank calls. This gave him the idea for his later movies that used practical jokes.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Barkan acted in many Israeli comedy movies. These films were often called "Bourekas films." Some of his popular movies from this time include Lupo!, Lupo in New York, Katz V'Carasso, Charlie Ve'hetzi, and Hagiga B'Snuker. He also appeared in other films like Malkat Hakvish (1971) with Gila Almagor.
In the 1980s, Yehuda Barkan started to direct and produce his own films. He made several hidden camera prank films. Some of these were Hayeh Ahaltah Otah (which he directed with Yigal Shilon), Nipagesh Bachof, and Matzlema Bli Busha. He also directed and produced funny drama movies. The most famous of these were the Abba Ganuv film series and the movie Neshika Bametzach (1990).
In 1994, when Israeli commercial television Channel 2 first started, Barkan hosted his own prank show called Lo Dofkim Cheshbon. The show did not last very long.
In 1999, Barkan acted in two more films, Look into my eyes and Volcano Junction, where he had smaller roles. In 2003, he was part of a documentary film called Zehirut Matzlema.
In 2004, Barkan appeared in a drama TV series called Ahava BaShalechet.
Yehuda Barkan became very popular again in the 2010s. He played a grandfather in the Israeli TV series Yellow Peppers. In this show, his character's grandchild had autism. Starting in 2017, he played a rabbi in the TV series Kipat Barzel.
Selected Films and TV Shows
Movies Yehuda Barkan Acted In
- 1967: He Walked Through the Fields
- 1970: Lupo! – as Lupo
- 1971: Katz and Karasso
- 1971: The Highway Queen (Malkat Hakvish) – as Arik
- 1972: Escape to the Sun – as Yasha Bazarov
- 1974: Charlie Ve'hetzi (Charlie and a Half) – as Charlie
- 1975: Hagiga B'Snuker
- 1985: Smell and Smile (Kompot Na'alyim)
- 1987: Cool Dad (Abba Ganuv)
- 1987: Nipagesh Basivuv
- 1989: Cool Dad 2 (Abba Ganuv 2)
- 1990: Neshika Bametzach (The Day We Met) – as Arik Schwartzman
- 1991: Cool Dad 3 (Abba Ganuv 3)
- 1992: Ma'am, Open, It's Me
- 1993: Looking for a husband on four legs
- 1999: Look me in the eyes
- 1999: Vulcan Junction
- 2000: Mosh
- 2003: Every Jew is Gold
- 2013: Matat
- 2015: Tobiansky
- 2015: Tales of Tales of Rabbi Nachman
- 2019: Love in Shlikes - as Beno
Television Shows Yehuda Barkan Appeared In
- 2011: Yellow Peppers
- 2017: Kipat Barzel
