Aharon Ipalé

Biography

Aharon Ipalé (Morocco, 1941 – Israel, 2016) was an actor best known for his roles in British and American film and television productions between the 1970s and the early 2000s.

Born in Morocco in 1941, he moved with his family to Israel at the age of two, during the mass migration of Moroccan Jews. After serving in the Israeli army, he trained in dramatic arts in London, where he took small roles on television and in theatre. His performance as Joshua in the British mini-series Moses the Lawgiver (1973-1974), starring Burt Lancaster, drew attention in Hollywood.

In the United States he moved between series such as Kojak, Dynasty and Miami Vice and films such as Xanadu (1980) and Ishtar (1987), the latter a commercial and critical flop. In the late 1990s he played Pharaoh Seti I in The Mummy and its sequel, both directed by Stephen Sommers.

Around 2012 he returned to Israel after decades in London and Los Angeles, but never recreated the success he had enjoyed abroad. He died of cancer in 2016, aged 74.

Key films

• The Mummy (1999): he plays Pharaoh Seti I, one of the recurring roles of his career.
• The Mummy Returns (2001): he reprises Seti I in the sequel directed by Stephen Sommers.
• Fiddler on the Roof (1971): he appears in the film adaptation of the famous musical.
• Charlie Wilson's War (2007): his appearance in this Mike Nichols film closes a chapter of his Hollywood career.