logo
Harris Yulin, prolific stage and screen actor of ‘Ghostbusters II' fame, dead at 87

Harris Yulin, prolific stage and screen actor of ‘Ghostbusters II' fame, dead at 87

Yahoo12-06-2025
Actor Harris Yulin, an Emmy-nominated actor who appeared in projects including 'Frasier' and 'Ghostbusters II,' has died. He was 87.
The news was confirmed by Yulin's manager Sue Leibman, who said in an email to CNN that he passed away June 10 in New York City from a cardiac arrest.
Yulin was a decorated theater actor, playing Hamlet three times off-Broadway and appearing in plays on Broadway including 'Hedda Gabler,' 'The Price' and 'The Visit.' He also taught at NYC's prestigious Juilliard School for eight years.
Leibman's email said Yulin was working on new projects with actor and longtime collaborator Stacy Keach up until the time of his death.
The actor brought his theatrical stage presence into his film work, appearing in 'Looking for Richard' with Al Pacino in 1996.
Yulin is perhaps best known to audiences as the angry judge in 1989's 'Ghostbusters II' who unwittingly causes the supernatural goo to boil over and ghosts to wreak havoc in the courtroom.
His other notable film roles included parts in 'Scarface,' 'Clear and Present Danger,' 'Training Day' and 'Multiplicity.'
On the small screen, Yulin scored an Emmy nomination for his work on 'Frasier' in 1996.
He also appeared on 'Veep,' 'The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,' 'And Just Like That…,' 'Billions' and 'Divorce.'
Recently, Yulin had a major arc on the hit Netflix series 'Ozark' opposite Jason Bateman and Laura Linney.
In the weeks prior to his death, Yulin was preparing to work on a new TV series costarring Linney along with Kevin Kline titled 'American Classic.'
The director of that series, Michael Hoffman, called Yulin 'very simply one of the greatest artists I have ever encountered,' according to a statement provided by Leibman.
'And what he was as an actor, he was as a man, the grace, the humility, the generosity. All of us at 'American Classic' have been blessed by our experience with him,' Hoffman added.
Yulin is survived by his wife Kristen Lowman, a son-in-law, a nephew and godchildren. He was predeceased by his daughter, actress Claire Lucido, Leibman said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Want to win an Emmy? It helps if you're already famous
Want to win an Emmy? It helps if you're already famous

Los Angeles Times

timean hour ago

  • Los Angeles Times

Want to win an Emmy? It helps if you're already famous

It's always nice to say hello to an old friend, even one who leads you to believe you're almost at the summit, only to serve up another dozen switchbacks before you're at the top. I'm Glenn Whipp, columnist for the Los Angeles Times and host of The Envelope newsletter. Still on a (Rocky Mountain) high after the Emmy nominations? You probably were a cast member on 'The White Lotus' or a guest actor on 'The Studio.' Let's talk about all the love for those shows' ensembles. When you have Nicole Kidman raising her hand, saying she'd be happy to sign up for your show, you can rest assured that you will never have an issue with casting. And that was before Mike White's 'The White Lotus' picked up a sweet 23 Emmy nominations last week, the same number it earned for Season 2 and, coincidentally, the same number that the hit Apple TV+ comedy series 'The Studio' just pulled in for its freshman outing. But is that number a coincidence? Not really. If this year's nominations taught us anything, it's that if you want your Emmy ticket stamped, you get your agent to call White or Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the creators and directing team behind 'The Studio.' Of course, it also helps if you're famous in the first place, which creates a bit of a problem if you're a journeyman actor looking for an Emmy boost. (And no, 'The Bear's' nominated guest star Olivia Colman, who has won three Golden Globes, two Emmys, an Oscar and the Volpi Cup since she was overlooked for 'Broadchurch,' no longer counts.) How can you hope to secure a nomination if voters keep flocking to the familiar? Seven actors from 'The White Lotus' ensemble — Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey, Sam Rockwell, Natasha Rothwell and Aimee Lou Wood — picked up supporting nominations this year, with Scott Glenn turning up in the guest actor category. The haul could have been better (or worse, depending on your perspective), as Patrick Schwarzenegger had also been expected to join the party for his turn as Saxon, the series' wonderfully named finance bro. 'The Studio' had several members of its main team nominated — Rogen, Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Hahn and Catherine O'Hara. But it was in the guest acting categories that the show really cleaned up, with five of the six guest actor spots going to 'Studio' men and Zoë Kravitz making the cut for guest actress. Kravitz, like nominated castmates Dave Franco, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard and Anthony Mackie, was honored for playing a heightened version of herself. Bryan Cranston, a six-time Emmy winner, was the exception, nominated for his hilarious, 'Weekend at Bernie's'-inspired work as the drug-addled studio CEO. (He should probably make room for a seventh Emmy.) In that respect, the nods for 'The Studio's' self-playing actors are reminiscent of what used to be a tried-and-true way to earn an Emmy nomination for guest acting: hosting 'Saturday Night Live.' All you needed to do was deliver the opening monologue as yourself and then appear in sketches created to play off your persona. (This one, featuring Sydney Sweeney as a Hooters waitress, illustrates why voters have rightfully soured on 'SNL' of late.) The recognition for 'The Studio' represents progress of a sort, in that the series is actually funny. But it doesn't address the larger issue, which is the way that Emmy voters tend to zero in on shiny, famous faces at the expense of comparative newcomers who are more deserving. Case in point: 'The Pitt' boasted the best ensemble on television this year, but voters rewarded only lead actor Noah Wyle (his sixth nomination, no wins as yet), supporting actress Katherine LaNasa (so good as the emergency room's resilient charge nurse) and Shawn Hatosy, a terrific veteran actor who made a huge impression in his four episodes, including those two unforgettable rooftop scenes. For 'The Pitt,' the problem was partly one of quantity, not quality. There were a lot of interns and residents and nurses coming and going in that hospital during the show's 15-episode season. And they were played by actors largely unknown to voters — a savvy casting move, as the unfamiliar faces bolstered 'The Pitt's' realistic feel. But ignoring Taylor Dearden's beautifully nuanced work as the neurodivergent Dr. Mel King feels more symptomatic of a pattern than an issue of numbers. Dearden's performance was a revelation, showing a woman aware of her own limitations and using that understanding to convey empathy, love and understanding toward others. The look of joy on her face when she held the just-delivered baby should be a meme for happiness. I can't fathom how she wasn't nominated. The issue in the guest acting categories is more glaring. What used to be a space populated by character actors dropping into shows for small story arcs has now become, at least for comedy, a showcase for famous people parodying themselves. Yes, Scorsese was deserving. He's shown himself to be a fine actor over the years, and his shock and anger over having his Jonestown movie killed was priceless. I'll also sign off on Kravitz, who was utterly convincing in her mushroom-induced mania. Added bonus: If she wins, she can thank Sal Saperstein. But if 'The Studio' runs for three, four, five seasons, it's easy to imagine a future where the show establishes a blockade on the guest acting categories. And no matter how delightful it is to watch Ron Howard remember the time when some dolt tried to give him a 'note' on 'A Beautiful Mind,' we shouldn't get carried away — even if we are kind of hoping that all this attention could prompt a studio to green-light a real version of Howard's fictional action movie 'Alphabet City.' And, obviously, there continue to be exceptions to the fixation on the famous. Hatosy, mentioned earlier, is the definition of what a guest Emmy spot should be, as is Joe Pantoliano's beautiful, brief turn on 'The Last of Us,' playing an infected man pleading for a final moment with his wife. It all comes back to the usual appeals to voters: Watch more shows. Cast a wider net. Honor the work, not the names. Though if White wants to write Kidman into the next season of 'The White Lotus,' I'd be willing to make an exception and look the other way.

Billy Porter wants to build his own fashion and beauty empire
Billy Porter wants to build his own fashion and beauty empire

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Billy Porter wants to build his own fashion and beauty empire

Billy Porter plans to build his own fashion and beauty empire after launching his first make-up line. The 55-year-old singer/actor has ventured into the beauty business by founding his own cosmetics company called Black Mona Lisa, which shares the same name as his 2023 song and features products including cleanser and serums as well as eye shimmers and lip stick , and Billy hopes the launch is just the start of his business career. He told WWD: "Black Mona Lisa to me is ever-present. It's classic forever and doesn't go out of style. This is just Black Mona Lisa beyond the music. "But I also want Black Mona Lisa clothes, shoes and cookware." Billy went on to insist he hopes the brand can "free people" because there are "no rules" when it comes to make-up. He added: "What I've learned from being out with my younger friends is that there are no letters; there are no rules. It's freeing and it's fun; it's authentic. "This is my authentic self, and I didn't even know it. That's what I want this brand to be. I want it to free people, and to be whatever they want to be." It comes after Billy previously admitted he's actually "an introvert" but has learned to be more outgoing because of his career, which has involved starring in shows in both the West End and on Broadway. When asked what makes him smile, he told Town and Country magazine: "True kindness. You wouldn't know it but ... I'm an introvert. "I know how to be an extrovert because my job requires it. But if you want to know the real me, I'm a home boy, I want to be with my friends. It's something that has shifted over the years; I think I started out as an extrovert as a young person." The stage star went on to insist living and working in London for his role in a West End revival of Cabaret has been "really healing" experience for him. He said: "My whole life is the greatest thing that ever happened. As a black gay man on this earth in this time. What's so great about London? "I love the people, the architecture. I love how art is still for everyone, even though I know you guys are holding onto that concept by a thread. "I love the fashion here, it is open and fun and not muted by masculine tropes. I also love the sex positivity in London - it is very healing to me."

Tom Troupe, ‘Star Trek' and ‘Mission: Impossible' actor, dead at 97
Tom Troupe, ‘Star Trek' and ‘Mission: Impossible' actor, dead at 97

New York Post

time2 hours ago

  • New York Post

Tom Troupe, ‘Star Trek' and ‘Mission: Impossible' actor, dead at 97

Veteran actor Tom Troupe has died. He was 97. Troupe passed away due to natural causes at his Beverly Hills home on Sunday morning, his spokesperson confirmed to several media outlets. Troupe's nephew, Mark Cocanougher, also shared the sad news on Instagram. 9 Tom Troupe during the 5th Annual TV Land Awards in 2007. WireImage 'My uncle, Tom Troupe, died peacefully at home this morning,' Cocanougher wrote. 'He had a lovely, full life, and an equally graceful departure. His dear son, Christopher Troupe, was here all day yesterday, and that was such a source of peace for them and for me.' 'I know that Tom and my aunt, Carole Cook, touched many lives, and I'm grateful for any positive impact they have had among so many friends and fans through their work and generous spirit,' the tribute added. 9 Tom Troupe in Australia in 1978. Fairfax Media via Getty Images Born on July 15, 1928, in Kansas City, Missouri, Troupe performed in local theater productions before he moved to New York City in 1948 and studied acting at the Herbert Berghof Studio. After serving in the Korean War, Troupe returned to NYC and made his Broadway debut in 1957 as Peter van Daan in the production of 'The Diary of Ann Frank.' 9 Tom Troupe with his late wife Carole Cook in 2013. Getty Images for Art of Elysium Troupe later moved to Los Angeles and landed roles in dozens of movies and TV shows. On the big screen, he appeared in 'The Big Fisherman,' 'The Devil's Brigade,' 'Che!,' 'Kelly's Heroes,' 'Making It,' 'Summer School' and 'My Own Private Idaho,' while his television credits included 'Star Trek,' 'Mission: Impossible,' 'Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,' 'Cagney & Lacey,' 'Cheers,' 'Highway to Heaven,' 'Murder She Wrote' and 'Who's the Boss?' 9 Tom Troupe in 'Star Trek.' CBS 9 Tom Troupe in 'Mission: Impossible.' Paramount 9 Tom Troupe, Lois Neddleton and Dawyn Lyn in 'Marcus Welby, M.D.' Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images Troupe was also in other stage productions such as 'The Lion in Winter,' 'The Gin Game' and 'Father's Day,' all of which co-starred his late wife Carole Cook. In addition, Troupe starred in the national tour of 'Same Time Next Year' with Barbara Rush, the Broadway production of 'Romantic Comedy' with Mia Farrow and his one-actor play 'The Diary of a Madman.' 9 Tom Troupe, Shelley Long, Ted Danson in 'Cheers.' ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection 9 Alex Henteloff, Tom Troupe in 'The Young Rebels.' Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images Cook, who had her own prolific acting career that involved being Lucille Ball's protégé, died of heart failure in 2023 at age 98. 9 Carole Cook and Tom Troupe at The Art Of Elysium's Genesis in Los Angeles in 2013. Getty Images In 2002, the couple were the first husband and wife to receive the Theatre Ovation Award for Career Achievement. Troupe is survived by his son Christopher Troupe, daughter-in-law Becky Coulter, granddaughter Ashley Troupe and several nieces and nephews.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store