Ran Danker - Misplaced Pages

Israeli–American actor, singer and model (born 1984)

Ran Danker
רן דנקר
Danker in 2023
Born	Khalil Yosef Danker (1984-01-07) January 7, 1984 (age 40) Virginia, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Actor, singer and model
Musical career
Years active	2007–present (music) 2004–present (actor)
Musical artist

Ran Danker (Hebrew: רן דנקר; born Khalil Yosef Danker on January 7, 1984) is an Israeli–American actor, singer and model. He starred in hit Israeli series such as HaShir Shelanu (2004–2007), The Gordin Cell (2012–2015), Miguel (2018) and more. Danker received an Ophir Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Eyes Wide Open (2009). Danker was also nominated for an Ophir Award for Best Actor for his role in Doubtful (2017).

Early life

Danker was born in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, to a Jewish family. He is the son of Israeli actor Eli Danker. He moved to Israel with his mother when he was two years old after his parents' divorce. He grew up in the Bavli neighborhood in Tel Aviv. During that time he was a member of the Ha-Horesh tribe choir of the scouts youth movement. Towards his Junior High year, Ran and his mother moved to Poleg, Netanya. Between high school and his army service, Ran participated in a few TV commercials: a promo of Channel 10; a commercial of Bank Leumi; and the cell phone company Cellcom. As a teenager, Ran was a delivery boy for Domino's Pizza in Netanya. He was a helicopter technician during his military service in the Israel Defense Forces.

Career

As well as acting and singing, Danker is a fashion model in Israel and has appeared in campaigns for Diadora.

Film and television

In 2004, he landed a part of HaShir Shelanu (Our Song) that ran for four seasons. He was also in two children's shows, a musical production of The Sound of Music in Tel Aviv and later Haifa and the Festigal (an annual Hanukkah song festival) in 2004 and 2005. He has also appeared in the 2021 edition. In December 2005, Ran won the Gold Screen Award as the best actor, for his role in Our Song. In January 2006, he won the Kids Channel Award, for the same category. Danker also contributed his voice to the main character of Walt Disney's animated movie Chicken Little for Israel's Hebrew-dubbed version. Readers of the popular "Pnai Plus" TV digest awarded him actor of the year in 2006. In 2008, he began appearing as the titular character in the musical daily drama Danny Hollywood.

He plays, with the actor Zohar Strauss, the main role, as a gay lover, in the 2009 Israeli drama film Eyes Wide Open. Danker received an Ophir Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role. Between 2012 and 2015, he appeared in the TV drama Gordin Cell playing the main character, Eyal "Alik" Gordin. Haaretz praised the show as "among the world's best suspense shows". It was also remade in the United States as Allegiance (2015). In 2017, he received an Ophir Award nomination for Best Actor for his role in Doubtful as a man that has to serve his community service by working with juvenile delinquents.

In 2018, Danker began appearing in Miguel, playing a gay man who is determined to fulfil his dream of adopting a child. The series received its world premiere at the first ever Canneseries festival. Miguel won the special performance prize for best ensemble cast at Canneseries. In 2020, Danker stars in Honeymood, a new romantic comedy by Talya Lavie, director of Zero Motivation.

Stage

In The Sound of Music he played Rolf the Nazi postman who fell in love with Liesl, the oldest daughter of the von Trapp family. Ran performed in 40 shows until he left for Festigal 2005. In 2015, he played the German lawyer, Hans Litten in the Habima Theatre production of Taken at Midnight. Danker plays a lawyer who represented opponents of the Nazis at important political trials between 1929 and 1932, defending the rights of workers during the Weimar Republic. In 2017,, he returned to Habima Theatre to play Che in the Israeli production of the hit musical, Evita.

Music

In 2007, Danker released his debut album, Shavim (Hebrew: שווים, "equal"), with guitarist Ilai Botner. Danker released a new Hebrew-language album, "Something Different" in 2018.

In March 2021, He released "Beit Meshugaim" (In Hebrew: "בית משוגעים"), that stayed the most stream Spotify song in Israel for 3.5 months in a row. On top of that, it stayed at the top of the Galgalatz chart for 8 weeks in a row, breaking the record for the most weeks in first place. This was followed in October 2021 by "Hasimla hadasha sheli" (in Hebrew: השמלה החדשה שלי meaning "My new dress") produced by DEGO.

On July 14, 2022, he performed the song "Lu Yehi" at Beit HaNassi, alongside the singer Yuval Dayan, in front of President Joe Biden during his visit to Israel.

Personal life

Danker was previously in a high-profile relationship with fellow HaShir Shelanu star, Ninet Tayeb. Israeli media labelled the pair "Raninet". Following the break up he was named the most eligible bachelor in 2007 by "Pnai Plus". He also reportedly dated his other HaShir Shelanu co-star, Ania Bukstein as well as the supermodel, Bar Refaeli. Danker and Refaeli's mothers are close friends. Danker and Tayeb remain friends and when asked in a 2019 Ynet interview about his former partner, Danker said that they will soon be in touch and will collaborate. The pair performed together in September 2019.

In July 2015, Danker came out as bisexual. He also stated that he has been in a relationship with a man for three years. In an interview Danker said "I simply fell in love, what's more surprising to me than being in a relationship with a man is that I've been in any relationship for three years. Period". He continued to say that "sexuality is another way for the soul to define itself, it's complicated and combines many components. The total of people is the total of sexual possibilities. I'm attracted to both women and men. Why should we narrow ourselves into a definition? I don't want to define myself".

He has been described as a "heart-throb", and as one of the most talked-about male stars in Israel.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2004–2007	HaShir Shelanu	Zohar Lahat/ Rani Aviv	Series regular
2008	Restless	Tzach	Amos Kollek film
2009	Eyes Wide Open	Ezri
2010	Rabies	Michael
2012–2015	The Gordin Cell	Eyal 'Alik' Gordin	Series regular
2014	Underwater	Nir	Short film
2015	Amok	Party guest/butcher
2017	Doubtful	Assi
2018–present	Miguel	Tom	Series regular
2020	Honeymood	Noam

Discography

Albums

Shavim (Hebrew: שווים, meaning "Equal") (2007) (joint with Elai Butner)
Something Different (Hebrew: משהו אחר) (2018)

Soundtrack

Our Song (Hebrew: השיר שלנו) - Double album

Singles

"Shavim" (Hebrew: שווים) (2007)
"Bo'i Nazov" (Hebrew: בואי נעזוב Meaning Let's leave(to a woman)) (2007)
"Ani Esh" (Hebrew: אני אש Meaning I am fire) (2007)
"Beit Meshugaim" (Hebrew: בית משוגעים Meaning madhouse) (2021)
"Hasimila Hadasha Shelly" (Hebrew: השמלה החדשה שלי, Meaning my new dress) (2021)

References

^ Levi Musan, Lital. "Ran Danker" (in Hebrew). Bamarom.co.il. Retrieved June 27, 2011.
^ Ran and Yehuda: An unavoidable war, Raviv Golan, Ynetnews, July 2, 2006
US Fund Buys Danny Hollywood The Jerusalem Post. December 4, 2008
the film "Eyes Wide Open" in IMDB
Move Over, Homeland. Another Hit Israeli Spy Thriller Is Coming to U.S. Television Haaretz. January 12, 2015
Canal Plus Acquires Israeli Adoption Drama 'Miguel' (EXCLUSIVE) Variety. July 25, 2018
Heroes in our midst The Jerusalem Post. December 25, 2018
Honeymood Accessed on January 22, 2019
WestEnd takes worldwide rights to Talya Lavie's 'Honeymood' (exclusive) Screendaily. 20 February 2020
A Story About Nazis, Human Rights and Above All, One Courageous Mother Haaretz. July 22, 2015
Photo Coverage: Requiem EVITA – Final Curtain for Habima's Production Broadway World. March 7, 2017
Ran Danker – not just another pretty face The Jerusalem Post. November 17, 2018
Joe Biden shook hands in Israel despite planning not to. Then a pop star left him hanging. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 14 July 2022
THE BREAK-UP THAT ROCKED ISRAEL Tablet. August 23, 2013
Israel's most eligible bachelors, Ynetnews, Hagit Ginsburg, February 14, 2008
Ran Danker Grazia. Retrieved January 22, 2019
רן דנקר, בקרוב הספר Makorrishon. September 25, 2009
Ninet Tayeb reveals that she spent time with Ran Danker abroad Walla. April 15, 2018
Ran Danker: "I will be in touch with Ninet soon and we will collaborate" YouTube. April 16, 2019
Ran Danker and Ninet Tayeb performing together Instagram. September 13, 2019
^ "Ran Danker: "I'm Bisexual"". The Times of Israel. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
Celebrity Grapevine, Jerusalem Post, Greer Fay Cashman, March 5, 2006

External links

Ran Danker at IMDb

v t e 2004 Chanukah Song Festival
Participants	Agam Rodberg Duo Datz Harel Moyal Harel Skaat Maya Bouskilla Ninet Tayeb Oded Menashe Ran Danker Roni Duani Tuvia Tzafir

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