Alon Aboutboul Dies: ‘The Dark Knight’ & ‘Snowfall’ Actor was 60

Alon Aboutboul, best known for his role in The Dark Knight, has died. The 60-year-old collapsed and died on HaBonim Beach in Tel Aviv, Israel, on the morning of July 29, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Aboutboul was reportedly swimming in the water there. When he walked out, he told people that he wasn’t feeling well, and then he collapsed.

He received CPR from lifeguards before paramedics were called to the scene. They tried to work on him for an hour, but they were unsuccessful. His cause of death is currently unknown. The Israeli actor’s death was confirmed by his rep to Metro.

A beachgoer told Metro, “It happened in an instant. He went into the water, and everything seemed perfectly fine. After a few minutes, he suddenly came out of the water, approached people, and said he wasn’t feeling well, and then they called for help. Everyone was really scared, he came out of the water and collapsed on the beach. Everyone wanted to help, and they recognised who it was when he came out of the water. This is a terrible tragedy here this morning; everyone here is in a big shock.”

Aboutboul, who was born on May 28, 1965, in Kiryat Ata, Israel, is survived by his wife, Shir Bilia, and their four children.

Miki Zohar, Israel’s minister for culture and sport, paid tribute to Aboutboul on social media. “I was deeply saddened to hear about the sudden passing of the actor Alon Aboutboul, may his memory be blessed,” Zohar said, per a translation on X. “Over the years, he portrayed a wide range of characters, bringing depth and emotion to them, leaving a profound mark on Israeli culture.”

Alon Aboutboul was best known for playing Russian nuclear physicist Dr. Leonid Pavel in The Dark Knight Rises, the third film in the franchise. Dr. Pavel is kidnapped by Bane (Tom Hardy) in the film. He also starred in the TV shows FBI: International and Fringe. In the FX series Snowfall, he was the recurring character Avi Drexler in 25 episodes.

His other acting credits include Body of Lies, London Has Fallen, Rambo III, Madam Secretary, and more.