Harris Yulin, a distinguished character actor and fan favorite for genre appearances in TV and film, has died.
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Yulin passed away from cardiac arrest in New York City on Tuesday, according to Deadline. He was 87.
RIP to a GREAT Character Actor, Harris Yulin pic.twitter.com/CJI0bPyNIU
— ΩStuntman MikeΩ (@Stuntman_Mik3) June 11, 2025
Born in Los Angeles in 1937, Yulin built an impressive career in film, television, and theater, with over a hundred productions starting in the 1970s. Yulin had a memorable acting persona, often shifting between menacing and humorous, which he used to great effect.
He is perhaps best known for his roles in Scarface (1983), Ghostbusters II (1989), Looking for Richard (1996), and Rush Hour 2 (2001). He also starred opposite Gene Hackman in 1975’s Night Moves.
In 1996, he received a Primetime Emmy nomination for a guest appearance on the comedy Frasier and, in 2019, was part of the ensemble nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Ozark.
He also appeared in films such as Multiplicity, Training Day, All Square, Wanderland, Omni Loop, Game 6, and many others.
Meanwhile, Yulin is beloved among horror fans for his role as Quentin Travers, the head of the Watchers’ Council, in the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Trekkers might also remember Yulin for his appearance in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the episode “Duet“.
In recent years, Yulin appeared in Veep, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and And Just Like That, per his IMDb profile.
Harris Yulin’s Impressive Stage Career
Yulin also had a successful stage career. He made his Broadway debut in 1980 with Watch on the Rhine and finished in 2001 with Hedda Gabler. He received Drama Desk Award nominations for his performances in The Diary of Anne Frank (1998) and The Price (2000). In addition to his Broadway work, Yulin appeared in numerous regional and international productions. He also co-founded the Los Angeles Classic Theater.
In the wake of his passing, fans took to social media to pay tribute to Yulin.
“I had the good fortune to see him once playing the lead role of Death of A Salesman (which he did brilliantly), but, for me, Harris Yulin will always be Aamin Marritza from the Deep Space Nine episode ‘Duet.’ It has in the past moved me to tears. RIP,” one thoughtful fan wrote on X.
“Harris Yulin was one of my favorite favorite favorite actors. You may recognize him from SCARFACE, OZARK, TRAINING DAY. I love him primarily for an earlier run: “DOC”, END OF THE ROAD, NIGHT MOVES, [and] his genius turn as the world’s greatest guitar maker in CANDY MOUNTAIN (1987),” wrote Poker Face showrunner Tony Tost.
Yulin is survived by his second wife, Kristen Lowman, his son-in-law Ted Mineo, his nephew Martin Crane, and his godchildren Marco and Lara Greenberg. He was predeceased by his daughter, actress Claire Lucido. Yulin was previously married to actress Gwen Welles, who died in 1993. He also dated Faye Dunaway, his co-star in the 1971 Western Doc, where he played Wyatt Earp.