Aharon Ipalé

{{short description|Israeli actor}}

{{Infobox person

| image = Aharon Ipale, Bel Air Film Festval 2014.jpg

| caption = Aharon Ipalé at the Bel Air Film Festival in 2014.

| native_name = אהרון איפלה

| name = Aharon Ipalé

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1941|12|27}}

| birth_place = Morocco

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2016|6|27|1941|12|27}}

| death_place = Tel Hashomer, Israel

| yearsactive = 1963–2015

| occupation = Actor

| spouse = Rachelle F. Ellison (1978–?)

| children = 1

| native_name_lang = he

| alias = Ron Ipale

}}

Aharon Ipalé ({{langx|he|אהרון איפלה}}; December 27, 1941 – June 27, 2016) was an Israeli-American actor, known for his roles in American and British film and television productions. His credits included Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Innocent Bystanders (1972), Raid on Entebbe (1977), Too Hot to Handle (1977), The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979), The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood (1980), Xanadu (1980), Who Dares Wins (1982), Eye of the Widow (1991), Son of the Pink Panther (1993), The Mummy (1999), and The Mummy Returns (2001).{{cite news|first=Nirit|last=Anderson|title=Israeli Actor Aharon Ipalé Dies of Cancer at 74|url=http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/culture/.premium-1.727694|work=Haaretz|date=2016-06-28|accessdate=2016-07-16|archive-date=2016-07-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702092902/http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/culture/.premium-1.727694|url-status=live}}{{cite news|first=Greg|last=Evans|title=Aharon Ipalé Dies: 'The Mummy' Actor Was 74|url=https://deadline.com/2016/06/aharon-ipale-the-mummy-obituary-1201781039|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=2016-06-28|access-date=2016-07-16|archive-date=2016-07-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702163214/http://deadline.com/2016/06/aharon-ipale-the-mummy-obituary-1201781039/|url-status=dead}}

Early life

Ipalé was born in Morocco on December 27, 1941. He arrived in present-day Israel with his family when he was just two years old as part of the early migration of Moroccan Jews to Israel. Ipalé enrolled in a theater school in London following his service in the Israeli Army.

Career

He began his acting career by appearing in British television series and theater productions, including the television mini-series, Christ Recrucified, in which he played the title role of Jesus Christ.

Ipalé was cast as Joshua in the 1973–1974 British mini-series, Moses the Lawgiver, which starred Burt Lancaster as Moses. His work in Moses the Lawgiver earned attention from Hollywood and led to his later work in the United States. His American television credits during the 1970s and 1980s included Hawaii Five-O, Wonder Woman, Dynasty, Kojak, The Love Boat, Knight Rider, MacGyver, Miami Vice and Charlie's Angels.

In Knight Rider, he played the role of Durant, the man who killed Michael Knight's fiancé Stephanie Maison, at the ceremony of his wedding, in the season four episode, "Scent of Roses".

In 1985, Ipalé appeared in the British dramatic film, The Shooting Party, which starred James Mason and John Gielgud. That same year, Ipalé appeared in the Israeli film, Gesher Tzar Me’od (1985). Two years later, he co-starred in the 1987 film, Ishtar, which was a notorious critical and box-office failure. More recently, Ipalé was best known for his recurring role as Pharaoh Seti I in The Mummy and its sequel, The Mummy Returns, both of which were directed by Stephen Sommers. In 2007, he appeared in Charlie Wilson's War.

Ipalé returned to Israel around 2012 after decades residing and working in London and Los Angeles. However, he was unable to recreate the professional success in Israel that he had enjoyed abroad.

Death

Aharon Ipalé died from cancer at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer on June 27, 2016, at the age of 74. He was being treated for the disease for several months. Ipalé, who was survived by his daughter, was buried in Holon.

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable"
Year

! Title

! Role

! Notes

1970MadronSingerUncredited
1971Fiddler on the RoofSheftel
1972Innocent BystandersGabrilovitch
1977Too Hot to HandleDomingo De La Torres
1979The Concorde ... Airport '79French Reporter
rowspan="2" |1980The Happy Hooker Goes HollywoodRaul
XanaduPhotographer
1982Who Dares WinsMalekAKA: The Final Option
rowspan="2" | 1985Gesher Tzar Me'odBennyAKA: On a Narrow Bridge
The Shooting PartySir Reuben Hergesheimer
1987IshtarEmir Yousef
1988VibesAlejandro De La Vivar
1989One Man OutGeneral
1991Eye of the WidowSoltaneh
rowspan="3" | 1993American Ninja VDr. Strobel
Son of the Pink PantherGeneral Jaffar
Invisible: The Chronicles of Benjamin KnightPetroff
1999The MummyPharaoh Seti I
2001The Mummy ReturnsPharaoh Seti I
2006The Ten Commandments: The MusicalSeti
2007Charlie Wilson's WarEgyptian Defense Minister
2016The PromiseDr. NazimFinal film role

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year

! Title

! Role

! Notes

1976Raid on EntebbeMajor David GrutTV movie
rowspan="3" | 1978The ImmigrantsJoseph LavettaTV movie
Hawaii Five-ORashidEpisode: "My Friend, the Enemy"
One Day at a TimeAbdul Ben HalmiEpisode: "The Arab Connection"{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/one-day-at-a-time/episodes-season-4/1030241448/|title=One Day at a Time|website=TVGuide.com|access-date=2024-08-16|archive-date=2023-08-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230804105512/https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/one-day-at-a-time/episodes-season-4/1030241448/|url-status=live}}
rowspan="2" | 1986rowspan="2" | The EqualizerGustav HerantEpisode: ”Breakpoint"
Hector KourosEpisode: "Heartstrings"
2013The BiblePharaohTV miniseries documentary

References

{{Reflist}}