# Ishai Golan

Ishai Golan (Hebrew: ישי גולן; born 22 November 1973) is an Israeli film and television actor. In 2010, he won the Israeli Television Academy award for Best Actor for playing Uri Zach in Prisoners of War (Hatufim).

## Early life

He was born in Ramat Gan, Israel.

## Career

Golan attended Telma Yalin Arts High School in Givatayim. In 1990, he got his first cinematic role at the age of 17 in the film 'דרך הנשר‎' (The Eagle's Path) that was directed by Uri Barbash and starring Gidi Gov, Eli Danker and Nurit Galron. He stated that 'This film has shaped my awareness about being an actor. From the moment that I participated in this movie, I understood that this is me and this is my place'. He also appeared in Amos Guttman's Amazing Grace (1992) and in 'מנת יתר‎' (Overdose).
Golan served in the IDF in the military theater. After his military service, he attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Regarding his time in the academy, Golan said that even though he knew English, it took him a couple of months to get used to learning plays by William Shakespeare but after that time period he started to dream in Shakespeare's language. In 1996, Golan starred in the Ken Russell-directed TV film Mindbender, a Uri Geller biopic. Later on he appeared in the films Operation YY (2000), Six Million Fragments (2000), Rashevsky's Tango (2003) and Love Life (2007). Golan also appeared in minor roles in a number of American films shot in Israel. In 2011, in the film 'עד סוף הקיץ‎' (By Summer's End), he played a father who returns to his family for a visit after abandoning them. A year later he co-starred in the provocative film 'הנותנת‎' (The Slut). His first appearance in a television series was in Fool's gold (1994), later he appeared on Siton (1995), and in 1999's 'טירונות‎' (Recruit Training), he portrayed Tomer, a new Israeli soldier who falls in love with Officer Jenia. The role on that show is what convinced Golan to return to Israel after Uri Barbash called to Golan who was still in London during that time and offered him to come back to Israel to play on the show. Golan stated that he remembers that after the phone call ended, he was so happy and full of joy that Barbash was saving him from the desperation that he was experiencing during that time as an actor in his first phases on his career in the acting industry of London.
During the 2000s, Golan appeared in television series’ Love Around The Corner (2003), The Island (2007) and I didn't promise (2007). In 2010, he co-starred in the critically acclaimed series Prisoners of War and portrayed Uri, a prisoner of war who returns home 17 years after he was captured by enemy. For this performance, he won the Israeli Academy of Film and Television award for best actor in a drama series. In 2012, he appeared on the comedy series 'תנוחי‎' (Get Some Rest) alongside Yael Grobglas who worked with him on The Island.
Golan also appeared in many theatre plays such as "Lovers and Pleasant", "The Withdrawal From Moscow", "Railway to Damascus" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" in Habima Theatre, "Children of a Lesser God" in Beersheba Theater, as well as "Transparent Roof", "Bianka" and "Then in Prague" at the Beit Lessin Theater, and "All My Sons" in Haifa Theatre.
In 2012 he started hosting the Fox Life show Street Food Around The World. In each episode, Golan presents the street food of a specific city as he visits food stands, restaurants and local chefs. In 2014, he co-starred in False Flag and portrayed Ben Rephael, an Israeli chemist and a family man who is implicated together with 4 other Israeli citizens in a high-profile kidnapping that is covered by the media all over the world. In 2017, Golan portrayed Carter Woods in the teen drama series "Greenhouse Academy."
In 2018, he starred in the critically acclaimed Israeli period supernatural horror film, The Golem. In 2020, he co-created an starred in The Crown Experiments, a psychological drama series. He starred alongside his False Flag co-stars, Ania Bukstein and Angel Bonanni. The international broadcast rights were sold to Roku in the United States in 2022.
In 2023, he appeared alongside Helen Mirren in the Holocaust drama film, White Bird.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1990 | Where Eagles Fly (Derech Ha'nesher) | | Film |
| 1992 | Amazing Grace (Hessed Mufla) | Doron | Film |
| 1993 | Overdose (Manat Yeter) | | Film |
| 1995 | Sitton | Tom | 1 episode |
| 1996 | Mindbender | Uri Geller | TV film |
| 1998 | Tironoot | Tomer | 6 episodes |
| 1999 | Delta Force One: The Lost Patrol | Camel Ambush IPF Officer | Film |
| 2000 | Operation YY (Mitzvah YY) | | Short film |
| 2000 | The Last Patrol | Jasper | Film |
| 2001 | Aball'e | Alon | TV film |
| 2001 | Six Million Pieces (Shisha Million Rasisim) | | Series regular |
| 2003 | Rashevski's Tango | Youval | Film |
| 2003-2005 | Love Around the Corner (Ahava Me'ever Lapina) | Daniel | Series regular |
| 2007 | Love Life (Liebesleben) | Yoni | film |
| 2007 - 2008 | The Island (Ha-E) | Max | Series regular |
| 2008 | Salt of this Sea | Male agent | Film |
| 2008 | Gefilte Fish | Yaron | Short film |
| 2009 | Bed Stories | | Short film |
| 2009 - 2012 | Prisoners of War (Hatufim) | Uri Zach | Series regular |
| 2011 | The Slut | Shay | Film |
| 2011 | By Summer's End (Ad Sof Ha-kaitz) | Rafi | Film |
| 2012 | Chill (Tanoochi) | Mati | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Pastrami | Father | Short film |
| 2013 | Streets of Rage | Narrator | Short film |
| 2014 - 2015 | The Gordin Cell | Aharal'e Nir | 10 episodes |
| 2015 | False Flag (Kfulim) | Ben Refael | Series regular |
| 2016 | Der Tel-Aviv-Krimi | Ariel Gutman | 1 episode |
| 2016 | Antenna | | Film |
| 2016 | The Road to Where | Avi | Film |
| 2017 | Soup | | Short film |
| 2017 | Zaam | Schwartz | TV miniseries |
| 2017 | Family | Avi | Film |
| 2017 | Outdoors (Bayit Bagali) | Daniel | Series regular |
| 2017 | Kipat Barzel (Commandments) | Rabbi Israel Menashe | 6 episodes |
| 2017 - 2018 | Vicki & Me (Viki VeAni) | Eitan | Series regular |
| 2017 - 2020 | Greenhouse Academy | Carter Woods | Series regular |
| 2018 | The Reports on Sarah and Saleem | David | Film |
| 2018 | Not What You Think (Lo Hakol Varod) | Amos | TV series |
| 2018 | The Golem | Benjamin | Film |
| 2018 | Masks On | Dad | Short film |
| 2018 | With Shut Eyes | | Short film |
| 2020 | The Dinner (Haarucha) | Daniel | Series regular |
| 2020-2022 | Manayek | Eitan Doitsh | Series regular |
| 2021 | Plan A | Abba Kovener | Film |
| 2021 | Bug | | Short film |
| 2023 | DreaMars | Uzi Gold | 6 episodes |
| 2024 | White Bird | Max | Film |
| 2024 | Testament: The Story of Moses | Aaron | Main cast, miniseries |
| 2024 | 8200 | | Series regular |

## Personal life

Golan resides in Tel Aviv with his wife Ruti, a child psychologist, and three children. In the 2013 elections he strongly supported Da'am Workers Party. In 2013, he was a candidate in Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality local elections. He ran with the party list of the party, City Without Borders. As part of his platform he pushed for Tel Aviv to do more to support artists.