Biography
A former jazz musician and a Tony winner, Hal Linden was perhaps best known as Captain Barney Miller, the world-weary head of New York's 12th Precinct on "Barney Miller" (ABC, 1975-1982). A talented musician-singer, Linden spent nearly a decade performing with such noted big band leaders as Sammy Kaye before channeling his energies toward acting. He found success on Broadway, beginning with a 1958 turn in "Bells Are Ringing" and punctuated by a Tony win for his performance in "The Rothschilds" in 1971. Having dabbled in the medium of television since the mid-1960s, the actor achieved mainstream fame when he was cast as "Barney Miller" three years later. Linden's nuanced performance, which echoed the show's balance of broad comedy and sincere human drama, earned him both critical acclaim and viewer loyalty. After the hugely popular series ended its seven-year run, Linden kept busy with continued hosting duties on the educational wildlife show "Animals, Animals, Animals" (ABC, 1975-1981), further successful runs on Broadway, and the occasional big screen appearance in such feature films as "Out to Sea" (1993), starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. Employing a combination of sophisticated charm and everyman appeal, Linden enjoyed a prolific and diverse career on stage, TV and film, well into his octogenarian years.
