Who is Hart Bochner? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Canadian Celebrities Born In October

Also Known As: Hart Matthew Bochner

Age: 68 Years, 68 Year Old Males

Family:

father: Lloyd Bochner

mother: Ruth Bochner

siblings: Johanna Courtleigh, Paul Bochner

Born Country: Canada

Jewish Actors Actors

Height: 6'0" (183 cm), 6'0" Males

Ancestry: Russian Canadian

City: Toronto, Canada

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Career

Hart Bochner’smade him debut as an actor when he was a freshman in college. He had been studying Archaeology and had been toying with the idea of going to film school to study filmmaking. Director Franklin Schaffner’s wife noticed him during an open house at the American Film Institute and asked for his name. A month later he was called by Paramount Pictures to audition for a role. The film was ‘Islands in The Stream’ based on Ernest Hemingway’s book and directed by Franklin Schaffner. Bochner took leave from college for a semester to shoot the film which was released in 1977.

Hart Bochner’s second film ‘Breaking Away’ (1979) was offered to him just as he finished college. The film was a huge success, it won multiple film awards and helped Bochner get noticed as an actor.However it is his performance as Ellis in ‘Die Hard’ (1988) that has remained etched in public memory to this day. Bochner recalls that the director John McTiernan was not too happy with the way Bochner was portraying the part. He only changed his mind and let Bochner do his thing when he saw the producer and the cinematographer enjoying and laughing at Bochner’s performance. So convincing was his performance that the character of Ellis has been called ‘The Greatest Movie Sleazeballs of all Time’.

His other notable films include ‘Apartment Zero’ (1988) opposite Colin Firth which became a cult hit, ‘The Innocent’ (1993) opposite Anthony Hopkins and‘Anywhere But Here’ (1999) opposite Susan Sarandon. He was also seen in ‘Urban Legends: Final Cut’ (2000). Bochner had a voice role in the ‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ (1993) as the City Councillor Arthur Reeves.

Hart Bochner has made several television appearances in series such as ‘War and Remembrance’ (1988), ‘The East of Eden’ (1981), ‘The Sun Also Rises’ (1984) and ‘The Starter Wife’ (2008).

Bochner has always been keen on directing. In preparation for his career in direction, he wrote and directed the short film ‘The Buzz’ (1992) starring his friend Jon Lovitz. Following this film he got a feature film deal with 20th Century Fox. The film was ‘PCU’, released in 1994. it is regarded as a cult comedy. Sony was the next to offer him a film deal with ‘High School High’ (1996). The film did reasonably well at the box office but was panned by the critics. However, these films did not do much for Bochner’sdirectorial career and he went back to acting. He returned to filmmaking only in 2008 with ‘Just Add Water’. This Indie film which was also written by him starred actors like Danny Devito and Dylan Walsh. It was later bought by Sony Pictures. Bochner has said that this film was the closest he felt to realising his vision as a filmmaker.

Since 2000 Hart Bochner has been a board member of the Environmental Media Association (EMA). The Association tries to instill green practices in Hollywood productions. Most TV and film productions are energy-intensive and uncaring towards long term environmental impacts. EMA awards the Green Seal badge of approval to productions that follow environmentally friendly practices on sets.

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Family & Personal Life

Hart Bochner was born on October 3, 1956, in Toronto, Canada, to Lloyd Bochner and Ruth Roher. He has two other siblings. He is of Russian and Ukrainian descent.

Bochner grew up in Santa Monica, California. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature from UC San Diego.

The US Magazine ranked Bochner ‘One of Hollywood’s 10 Sexiest Bachelors’ in 1989. In the past, he has dated Italian actress Mirella D’Angelo who he met while shooting in Argentina and American actress Sharon Stone for a while. He is currently dating actress and producer Pamela Sue Martin.

Hart Bochner practices what he preaches and owns a hydrogen-powered car.

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