Ishai Golan


Ishai Golan is an Israeli film and television actor. In 2010, he won the Israeli Television Academy|Israeli Television Academy] award for Best Actor for playing Uri Zach in Prisoners of War.

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 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 and in .
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, Six Million Fragments, Rashevsky's Tango and Love Life. Golan also appeared in minor roles in a number of American films shot in Israel. In 2011, in the film , 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 . His first appearance in a television series was in Fool's gold, later he appeared on Siton, and in 1999's , 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, The Island and I didn't promise. 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 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

YearTitleRoleNotes
1990Where Eagles Fly Film
1992Amazing Grace DoronFilm
1993Overdose Film
1995SittonTom1 episode
1996MindbenderUri GellerTV film
1998TironootTomer6 episodes
1999Delta Force One: The Lost PatrolCamel Ambush IPF OfficerFilm
2000Operation YY Short film
2000The Last PatrolRichard JasperFilm
2001Aball'eAlonTV film
2001Six Million Pieces Series regular
2003Rashevski's TangoYouvalFilm
2003-2005Love Around the Corner DanielSeries regular
2007Love Life Yonifilm
2007-2008The Island MaxSeries regular
2008Salt of this SeaMale AgentFilm
2008Gefilte FishYaronShort film
2009Bed StoriesShort film
2009-2012Prisoners of War Uri ZachSeries regular
2011The SlutShayFilm
2011By Summer's End RafiFilm
2012Chill Mati2 episodes
2012PastramiFatherShort film
2013Streets of RageThe NarratorShort film
2014-2015The Gordin CellAharal'e Nir10 episodes
2015False Flag Ben RefaelSeries regular
2016Der Tel-Aviv-KrimiAriel Gutman1 episode
2016AntennaFilm
2016The Road to WhereAviFilm
2017SoupShort film
2017ZaamSchwartzTV miniseries
2017FamilyAviFilm
2017Outdoors DanielSeries regular
2017Kipat Barzel Rabbi Israel Menashe6 episodes
2017-2018Vicki & Me EitanSeries regular
2017-2020Greenhouse AcademyCarter WoodsSeries regular
2018The Reports on Sarah and SaleemDavidFilm
2018Not What You Think AmosTV series
2018The GolemBenjaminFilm
2018Masks OnDadShort film
2018With Shut EyesShort film
2020The Dinner DanielSeries regular
2020-2022ManayekEitan DoitshSeries regular
2021Plan AAbba KovenerFilm
2021BugShort film
2023DreaMarsUzi Gold6 episodes
2024White BirdMaxFilm
2024Testament: The Story of MosesAaronMain cast, miniseries
20248200Series 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.