Shaike Ophir
Shaike Ophir
Born 04/11/1928 in Jerusalem, Israel

Shaike Ophir (Hebrew: שייקה אופיר; November 4, 1928 – August 17, 1987) was an Israeli film and theater actor, comedian, playwright, screenwriter, director, and the country's first mime.

Shaike Ophir (Hebrew: שייקה אופיר; November 4, 1928 – August 17, 1987) was an Israeli film and theater actor, comedian, playwright, screenwriter, director, and the country's first mime.

Yeshayahu (Shaike) Goldstein-Ophir was born in Jerusalem. His family was Masortiim, and his Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry in the city goes back to the mid-19th century. He studied acting as an adolescent but left school in the 1940s to enlist in the Palmach. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War he escorted convoys to the besieged city of Jerusalem and took part in naval battles.

Thanks to his comic skills he was accepted to the Chezbatron, an army entertainment troupe. In the 1950s, he made a name for himself as a multi-talented performer. He even recorded a few hit songs during this period.

During the late 1950s and early 1960s Ophir occasionally guest-starred in American TV shows such as Shirley Temple's Storybook and Alfred Hitchcock Presents (in the episode "The Waxwork," where he was billed as Shai K. Ophir). Ophir acted in 28 films, wrote, directed, and starred in several variety shows, and was an accomplished mime, appearing alongside Marcel Marceau. He reached the peak of his international fame in the title role of Ha-Shoter Azoulay (literally, Policeman Azoulay, translated as The Policeman), a film vehicle by Ephraim Kishon which won a Golden Globe for Best Foreign-Language Film (1972) and was nominated for a Best Foreign Language Academy Award the same year. He also starred in other Ephraim Kishon films, including Ervinka, Blaumilch Canal and The Fox in the Chicken Coop, and the 1973 Moshé Mizrahi film Daughters, Daughters. In 1977 he starred opposite Melanie Griffith in The Garden.

In 1985, Ophir starred in a stage adaptation of Janusz Korczak's children's novel King Matt the First, where he played seven different roles. The children's play was very successful and ran for three years. Over this period Ophir was diagnosed with lung cancer, to which he succumbed in 1987. Ophir was a theatrical director for HaGashash HaHiver. He also directed the Israeli movie Hamesh Ma'ot Elef Shahor, and wrote the screenplay for 4 Israeli movies. He wrote and performed many sketches and comedy routines, many of which are still popular in Israel today. He also did a series of Arabic-instruction TV programs that ran through the 1980s.

He also appeared in the Chuck Norris film, The Delta Force.

Ophir was married twice and had four children, two from each spouse. His daughter, Karin Ophir, is also an actress. Shaike Ophir, a heavy smoker, died from lung cancer in 1987.

External links

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0649090

Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205000

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Filmography (Movies)

Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty

Character:Elf Master

Release Date:12/06/1987

America 3000

America 3000

Character:Lelz

Release Date:08/04/1986

The Delta Force

The Delta Force

Character:Father Nicholas

Release Date:14/02/1986

King Solomon's Mines

King Solomon's Mines

Character:Kassam

Release Date:22/11/1985

The Magician of Lublin

The Magician of Lublin

Character:Schmul

Release Date:09/11/1979

Wrong Number

Wrong Number

Character:Superintendent Moshe Cohen

Release Date:06/06/1979

The Fox in the Chicken Coop

The Fox in the Chicken Coop

Character:Amitz Dolniker

Release Date:01/01/1978

Half a Million Black

Half a Million Black

Character:

Release Date:06/06/1977

Operation Thunderbolt

Operation Thunderbolt

Character:Gadi Arnon

Release Date:06/06/1977

Theft from a Thief

Theft from a Thief

Character:

Release Date:01/05/1977

500000 Black

500000 Black

Character:

Release Date:01/01/1977

The Garden

The Garden

Character:Avram

Release Date:01/01/1977

Diamonds

Diamonds

Character:Moshe

Release Date:22/10/1975

The Father

The Father

Character:

Release Date:01/01/1975

Daughters, Daughters

Daughters, Daughters

Character:Sabbatai Alfandari

Release Date:16/06/1974

The House on Chelouche Street

The House on Chelouche Street

Character:Haim

Release Date:01/01/1973

The Great Telephone Robbery

The Great Telephone Robbery

Character:

Release Date:06/06/1972

Carlos

Carlos

Character:

Release Date:20/11/1971

The Policeman

The Policeman

Character:Constable Sgt. Abraham Azulai

Release Date:05/06/1971

The Big Dig

The Big Dig

Character:Police Officer

Release Date:01/01/1969

Fish, Football and Girls

Fish, Football and Girls

Character:

Release Date:06/06/1968

Ervinka

Ervinka

Character:

Release Date:07/02/1967

Moishe Air-Condition

Moishe Air-Condition

Character:

Release Date:06/06/1966

Dalia and the Sailors

Dalia and the Sailors

Character:Jacko

Release Date:17/01/1964

Hole in the Moon

Hole in the Moon

Character:

Release Date:01/01/1964

El Dorado

El Dorado

Character:Shneider

Release Date:02/01/1963

The Fifth Column

The Fifth Column

Character:

Release Date:29/01/1960

Lacking a Homeland

Lacking a Homeland

Character:

Release Date:02/01/1959

Hansel and Gretel

Hansel and Gretel

Character:Miney

Release Date:27/04/1958

Tel Aviv Taxi

Tel Aviv Taxi

Character:Mark

Release Date:30/12/1956

Television Appearances

Images

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