Harris Yulin was one of those actors you would recognize, but never quite know his name. His devout fans certainly would, but for most, Harris was one of those actors who embodied his part fully and gave his all to each role he had. Besides a career that lasted over 50 years, Harris got his start in theatre. He appeared in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Richard III in the 1960s before his screen debut in 1970.
Harris Yulin’s Many Acting Credits
After he began his small and big screen career, Harris guested in numerous TV shows and had parts in movies. Most famously, he played roles in La Femme Nikita (Peta Wilson-led series), Frazier, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He also had memorable guest arcs on Third Watch and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Later on, he had recurring roles as Orson in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and as Buddy in Ozark.
Harris Yulin’s Life Besides Acting
Aside from being a character actor, Harris Yulin was a director. Most famously he directed The Glass Menagerie at Guild Hall. Harris also taught and directed at Juilliard. He additionally taught at The Graduate School of the Arts at Columbia University in New York.
An interesting fact about Harris is that he was left as a baby on the doorstep of an orphanage. At four months, he was adopted and loved by a Russian Jewish family. He later stated that this helped shape him to become the hugely prolific actor he grew to be.
Harris Yulin’s Last Years
At the time of his death, Harris was still acting. He was starring in a TV comedy series called American Classic with Kevin Kline and Laura Linney. Show creator and director Michael Hoffman said of Harris: “Harris Yulin was very simply one of the greatest artists I have ever encountered.
Hoffman further stated to The Hollywood Reporter: “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.”
Harris passed away on June 10 from cardiac arrest. He will be missed greatly. He was predeceased by his first wife, actress Gwen Welles, and daughter Claire Lucido. He is survived by his second wife of 20 years, Kristen Lowman.
