I ask, because I just don't get it. Hal Linden is a talented actor. He really hasn't been in anything significant in years. He has been relegated lately to dinner theaters and small film festivals. What happened to his career???

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_msb7eQA-RFY/Skl5QBDLU3I/AAAAAAAABI0/uuTgFsPddcc/s400/barney-miller-hal-linden.jpg

In a word: NO

I'd hope not.

To be honest, I have no idea.

Did he actually do anything that could have alienated his peers?

I doubt it. I do know he has been active on stage, and in independent films. Hal also plays clarinet, so he does musical shows sometimes.

Hal's last TV appearance aired only 3 months ago, in an episode of Hot in Cleveland. According to imdb, he just completed production on a TV movie called In Security, which also stars Brandon "Superman" Routh and Tina Majorino (Napoleon Dynamite).

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0511604/

I do agree with everyone that Mr. Linden is sadly underrated!! He was the perfect "straight man" on Barney Miller - his facial expressions in reaction of the lunacy going on around him were priceless. :lol:

I doubt it. I do know he has been active on stage, and in independent films. Hal also plays clarinet, so he does musical shows sometimes.

Hal's last TV appearance aired only 3 months ago, in an episode of Hot in Cleveland. According to imdb, he just completed production on a TV movie called In Security, which also stars Brandon "Superman" Routh and Tina Majorino (Napoleon Dynamite).

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0511604/

I do agree with everyone that Mr. Linden is sadly underrated!! He was the perfect "straight man" on Barney Miller - his facial expressions in reaction of the lunacy going on around him were priceless. :lol:

Totally agree on Linden's being underrated. I also think he showed real potential as a dramatic actor in BM; there were moments there that really showed his more serious side.

^ Agreed. Hal made Barney a boss I think anyone would love to work for. He loved and respected the people he worked with (with the possible exception of Luger...:lol:) but he wasn't afraid to get on them when they were doing something wrong. Mr. Linden received Best Actor in a Comedy Series Emmy nominations seven straight years for Barney Miller and lost every time - what a shame. He should've gotten at least one Emmy for his portrayal of the leader of the 1-2.

He lost the Best Actor Emmy to:

1976 - Jack Albertson (Chico & The Man)
1977 - Carroll O'Connor (All in the Family)
1978 - Carroll O'Connor (All in the Family)
1979 - Carroll O'Connor (All in the Family)
1980 - Richard Mulligan (Soap)
1981 - Judd Hirsch (Taxi)
1982 - Alan Alda (M*A*S*H)

He was also nominated for 4 Golden Globes and lost every time there, too. Bummer.

Hal was wonderful on Barney Miller and I totally agree with Monika that he portrayed Barney as a boss you'd kill to have.

I saw Hal on an ep of Will & Grace a while back...and he was great on that too.

He is a very underrated actor no doubt about that, I guess it is just a simple case of typecasting like many other 70's sitcom actors. What a shame, because I feel Mr. Linden should get one more run on a major show. IMO

I remember his short-lived 1994-95 CBS sitcom The Boys Are Back, with Suzanne Pleshette playing his wife. Here's a pic of the duo: