Fiddler on the RoofactorChaim Topolhas passed away at the age of 87, as recentlyreported byDeadline. The actor, who played Tevye in the film, leaves behind his family, as well as a long, stellar career in both the film and theatre industries.
The actor has died at the age of 87 after losing his battle with Alzheimer’s, which lasted many years. He leaves behind his wife of 67 years,Galia Topol, as well as his three children and several grandchildren.
The news of Topol’s death was confirmed byIsrael’s presidentIsaac Herzogthrough his official Twitter account. “From Fiddler on the Roof to the roof of the world, Chaim Topol, who has passed away from us, was one of the most outstanding Israeli stage artists, a gifted actor who conquered many stages in Israel and overseas, filled the cinema screens with his presence, and above all, entered deep into our hearts,” the president wrote (as translated from Hebrew). He went on to praise the late actor for representing the people of Israel “with great respect” as well as commending him for the many awards he won over the years. “He is decorated with many awards for his talent and creation, but the most important award of all was won by us, who laughed and laughed with him in the dozens of characters he played.”
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Topol is most famous for his role of Tevye inFiddler on the Roof, for which he was nominated for several awards. Topol first began his role as Tevye on stage in Israel, where he played the poor Jewish milkman in the play’s Hebrew version, before reprising it for several hundred shows in a British theatre production from 1967. It was this theater role that landed him the very same film role after film directorNorman Jewisonsaw him perform.
The film, which was based on the 1964 stage musical byJoseph Stein,Jerry Block, andSheldon Harnick, and starredNorma Crane,Leonard Frey,Molly Picon,Paul Mann,Rosalind Harris,Michèle Marsh,Neva Small, andPaul Michael Glaser, saw Topol be nominated for Best Actor at theAcademy Awards(one of the eight nominations the film received). After the 1971 film, Topol returned to the stage as Tevye for further productions, and starred in over 3500 productions throughout his career.
Topol has many acting credits to his name on both the stage and in film, with his career spanning many decades. Topol’s love for the theatre was fostered when he joined the army’s entertainment troupe whilst completing his IDF service, and later when he became part of a theatre group and starred in multiple productions. Whilst Topol’s first role in film came in thePeter Frye-directed dramaI Like Mike(1961), it was not until he starred in the title role inSallah Shabati(1964) that he began to attract global attention. Topol went on to appear in dozens of films in Israel and the United States, includingGalileo(1975),Flash Gordon(1980), andBond filmFor Your Eyes Only(1981). His most recent acting credits were in 1998 where he starred as Shalem in the shortTime Elevatorand as Mr Apfelschnitt inLeft Luggage.
Many of Topol’s films, includingFiddler on the Roof,are currently available on Roku, Apple TV+, Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, Freevee, Youtube Movies, and Pluto TV. We offer our sincere condolences to Topol’s family at this time.
