Rami Heuberger, one of Israel’s most acclaimed actors, died at age 61 on August 25 after a long battle with cancer.
Heuberger was an actor’s actor, a versatile performer who appeared in memorable stage, screen, and television roles, winning praise and fans for both comedy and drama.
International audiences knew him from his role in Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, but Israelis first saw him on stage, where he performed with all of Israel’s top theater companies. He also directed several plays.
After serving in the army, he studied at the Nissan Nativ Acting Studio and then joined the Cameri Theater. Later, he performed and directed plays at Beit Lessin, Habima, and other theaters around the country, appearing in both classical and contemporary works. Among the plays in which he performed were Macbeth, Hamlet, Waiting for Godot, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Black Box, and Anna Karenina. He starred in and directed an adaptation of Ingmar Bergman’s Scenes from a Marriage at Habima in 2007.
Appearances on the small screen
On the small screen, he was best known for Ha-Hamishia Ha Kamerit (the Chamber Quintet), a sketch comedy show on Channel Two as the network was just beginning, which became extremely popular. He performed on it alongside Keren Mor, Menashe Noy, Dov Navon, and Shai Avivi.
His other notable television roles included BeTipul (In Treatment), Stockholm, Manayek, and, most recently, Checkout.
He also appeared frequently in films. Fans of the black comedy, Operation Grandma by Dror Shaul, remember him fondly for his turn as a tightly wound army officer who plans his grandmother’s funeral like a military operation. His most recent film role was as Defense Minister Moshe Dayan in Guy Nattiv’s Golda. His other movie roles included Hagai Levi’s August Snow, Dover Koshashvili’s Gift from Above, Hanan Peled’s Dear Mr. Waldman, and Amir Manor’s The House on Fin Street.
He was eulogized by Culture and Sport Minister Miki Zohar, who said, “I received the news of Rami Heuberger's passing with sadness. Rami was a major actor who moved, made us laugh, and entered our hearts. He left an unforgettable mark in works such as Ha-Hamishia Ha Kamerit, Operation Grandma, and in his many roles on the theater stage. He played characters that became part of Israeli life, and he will be greatly missed by the world of culture and by all of us. May his memory be blessed.”