Hal Linden
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hal Linden (born Harold Lipschitz on March 20, 1931 in New York City) is an American actor and television director. Linden graduated from Manhattan's School of Performing Arts. He is best known for his portrayal of the title character in the television comedy series Barney Miller (1975-1982). More recently he has appeared in small roles in movies. He has had guest-starring roles in the television shows Ray Bradbury Theater, Will & Grace, and Gilmore Girls among others. He began his career as a saxophone player and leader of dance bands.
Linden chose his stage name after spotting a gas storage tank with the word "Linden" (as in Linden, New Jersey) written on it in huge letters—"large enough for a big star".
Linden is currently the national spokesperson for the Jewish National Fund. He also played "The Dean" in the Christian movie Time Changer.
He is married to Francis Martin. They have four children.
Mr. Linden also starred on Broadway in the musical The Rothschilds in 1970 for which he won a Tony.
