Yehuda Levi

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For the Rishon, author of the Kuzari, see Yehuda Halevi. For the author of contemporary works on Judaism, Science, and society, see Yehuda (Leo) Levi. For the President and Publisher of The Jerusalem Post, see Yehuda Levy.
Yehuda Levi
Levi in 2022
Born (1979-06-29) June 29, 1979 (age 44)
Petah Tikva, Israel
Occupation(s)Actor, model, singer, TV host
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2017; div. 2021)​

Yehuda Levi (Hebrew: יהודה לוי; born June 29, 1979) is an Israeli actor, model and TV presenter. Regarded as one of the best performers of his generation in Israel, he is recognized for his versatile work across independent films, television and the stage. He has received numerous accolades, including three Best Actor awards from the Israeli Academy of Television for his performances in Yossi & Jagger (2002) and Very Important Person (2014 - 2019).

He starred as Nadav Feldman in the Israeli crime series, The Arbitrator (2007 - 2014). He also starred in the Israeli television action drama series, Mossad 101 (2015 - 2017), the Haredi drama series, Fire Dance (2022) and A Body That Works (2023-present).

Early life[edit]

Levi was born in Petah Tikva, Israel.[1] His father Yerachmiel Levi was born in Bulgaria and his mother Chaya (née Lichtenstein) was born in Poland. At age four, their family moved to South Africa where his father worked at the time; a decade later, at age fourteen, they moved back to Israel. He graduated from the Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts in Givatayim, Israel.[2]

During his Israel Defense Forces service, he was a commander of the military band of the Education Corps.

Career[edit]

He is an established actor, and came to the attention of the Israeli public through his soap opera roles.[1] In 2002, he starred as a gay soldier in the Eytan Fox film, Yossi & Jagger.[3][4] The film initially premiered on Israeli television and Levin won the Best Actor award from the Israeli Academy of Television.[5]

In May 2006, HaAlufa (The Champion), a soap opera centered on a soccer team, premiered starring Levi as the main character and captain of the team "Hakoakh Yerushalayim" (Jerusalem Power).

In 2014 he began playing a famous celebrity called Yehuda Levi in the Hot TV series, A Very Important Man.[6]He won two Best Actor awards from the Israeli Academy of Television for his performance in the role.[7]

He also played the lead role as a Mossad trainer in the Channel 2 series, Mossad 101 that began airing in 2015. In 2022, he starred as a Haredi rabbi in Rama Burshtein's television drama series, Fire Dance.[8] For the role, he was awarded the Best Actor award for an international series at Series Mania in France in 2022.[9]

A year later, he starred alongside Rotem Sela in the Israeli surrogacy drama series, A Body that Works.[10] The series was Israel's highest rated drama of 2023.[11]

Additional work[edit]

He was the spokesmodel of Israeli fashion brands Fox and Renuar.

On 12 March 2023, Levi was announced as the new host of HaMerotz LaMillion, Israel's version of The Amazing Race, replacing longtime host Ron Shahar.[12]

Personal life[edit]

Levi was previously in a relationship with the Israeli model Yael Bar Zohar and acted alongside her in the soap opera, Ramat Aviv Gimel.[13] In 2006, Levi got into a high-profile relationship with Israeli singer and actress Ninet Tayeb, the first winner of the show Kokhav Nolad. Haaretz described them as "Israel's favourite celebrity couple",[14] with The Jerusalem Post declaring them "Israel's Brangelina".[15] In 2013, after 8 years together, the couple broke up, stating that the breakup was mutual.[14] He has been described as one of the two most talked-about male stars in Israel (along with Ran Danker), Tayeb's former partner.[16]

In 2017, he married Israeli model Shlomit Malka. They resided in Tel Aviv. On June 6, 2021, the couple announced that they separated.[17]

Theater[edit]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Zolgot Hadma'ot Me'atzman (Tears Fall by Themselves) Car-hit boy
2002 Yossi & Jagger Lior Amichai (Jagger)
2004 Campfire Yoel
2005 Munich IDF soldier Minor role
2006 Schwartz Dynasty Avishai Co-star
2011 For the Love of Money Isaac
2013 Wonderland Rabbi Shmaya Knafo

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Ramat Aviv Gimmel (Season 2) Gil Episode 21
2001 Lechayey Ha'ahava Gidi Meiri
2003–2005 Ahava Me'ever Lapina Lior Dvir
2006–2009 The Champion Saar Fedida Lead role
2007–2013 The Arbitrator Nadav Feldman
2010 Hasamba Third Generation Freddie Zorkin
2011 Eretz Nehederet (Season 8) Yaniv Biton Episode 14
2012 Mom and Dads Sami Israel Lead role
2014 Very Important Person Yehuda Levi Lead role
2015 Dig Ali Lavey / Ari Undercover; Shin Bet agent
Mossad 101 Yonna "Kinder" Harari Lead role
2017 Shababnikim Yehuda Levi S1, episode 8
2022 Fire Dance Yonna "Kinder" Harari Lead role
2023 Trust No One Head of the Israeli Shin Bet
2023 A Body That Works Ido Avrahami Series regular
East Side Momi Series regular

TV Presenter[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2023–present HaMerotz LaMillion Host



Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2003 Dallas OUT TAKES Best Actor Yossi & Jagger Won [18]
Israeli Film Academy Best Acting in a Drama, Miniseries or Television Movie Won
2004 Best Supporting Actor Schwartz Dynasty Nominated
2013 Israeli Television Academy Best Actor in a Drama Series Mom and Dads Nominated
2014 Very Important Person Won

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Yehuda Levi". ibiography. Archived from the original on August 11, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  2. ^ "Yehuda Levi". Last.fm. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  3. ^ Musetto, Vincent (2003) "PASSIONS FLARE IN LOVE AND WAR", New York Post, 24 September 2003, p. 54
  4. ^ FILM REVIEW; Israeli Officers In Love, Trying To Elude Death And Detection The New York Times. 24 September 2003
  5. ^ Awards IMDB. Retrieved on 4 April 2024
  6. ^ Ego Trip or Bungee Jump? Yehuda Levi Stars in 'Selfie' TV Show Haaretz. 9 September 2014
  7. ^ Awards Retrieved on 4 April 2024
  8. ^ ‘Fire Dance’: First Trailer For Rama Burshtein’s Series Mania Drama About Forbidden Love In The Orthodox Community Deadline. 17 February 2022
  9. ^ Israeli TV Won Big at the Series Mania Festival. It's Easy to See Why Haaretz. 27 March 2022
  10. ^ Surrogacy Drama Series ‘A Body That Works’ Debuts Trailer: ‘In Israel, Pregnancy is Public Property’ (EXCLUSIVE) Variety. 21 March 2023
  11. ^ Surrogacy Drama ‘A Body That Works’ Renewed for Second Season (EXCLUSIVE) Variety. 26 February 2024
  12. ^ יהודה לוי ינחה את "המירוץ למיליון" [Yehuda Levi will host "Race to a Million"]. Ynet (in Hebrew). 12 March 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  13. ^ THE BREAK-UP THAT ROCKED ISRAEL Tablet. 23 August 2013
  14. ^ a b Fans in Shock as Israel’s Favorite Celebrity Couple Announces Split Haaretz. 21 August 2013
  15. ^ ISRAEL'S 'BRANGELINA', NINET TAYEB AND YEHUDA LEVI, SPLIT The Jerusalem Post. 20 August 2013
  16. ^ Ran and Yehuda: An unavoidable war, Raviv Golan, Ynetnews, July 2, 2006
  17. ^ Grapevine June 13, 2021: A pardon in suspense The Jerusalem Post. 13 June 2021
  18. ^ "Yossi and Jagge". awiderbridge.org. Retrieved 6 March 2017.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yehuda Levi.
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