Veteran Israeli Actor Ilan Dar Dies at 89

Ilan Dar, a prominent Israeli actor, voice actor, translator, and theater director, has passed away at the age of 89. Born Ilan Blauweiss in Tel Aviv in 1937 to Polish immigrant parents, Dar studied drama at Gymnasia Herzliya. He gained widespread recognition for his role as Ilan in the popular 1980s sitcom "Close Close," reprising the character for a reunion episode in 2005.

Dar had a distinguished theater career, beginning in 1958 with Habima Theatre. He was a co-founder of Haifa Theatre in 1961 and joined Cameri Theatre in 1977, where he performed in numerous plays, including "Angels in America," in which he portrayed six different characters. After leaving Cameri in 1995, he acted at Beit Lessin Theatre, Habima, and Beer Sheva Theatre, appearing in productions such as "Kiddush," "The Third Floor," and notably playing Shimon Peres in the play "Oslo."

He also performed his one-man show "Like a Bullet in the Head" approximately 400 times, including at the Edinburgh Festival. In addition to his acting, Dar directed and translated plays. His extensive filmography includes roles in "Just Today," "The Farewell Party," and "The Agency," and he appeared in television series like "The Kastner Trial," "Line 300," and "Golden Girls."

Dar received numerous accolades throughout his career, including the Hannah Rovina Prize and the Tel Aviv Municipality Award for his role in "Shira" (1989). He was honored with a recognition award from the Union of Israeli Artists in 2012, named an honorary citizen of Tel Aviv-Yafo in 2018, and received the Arik Einstein Award for the Arts in 2023. He is survived by his wife and daughter.