Chaim Topol: Israeli actor beloved for his role in Fiddler on the Roof

From military service to an Oscar nomination, Topol followed a unique path to stardom

Chaim Topol in Fiddler on the Roof in 1971
Chaim Topol in Fiddler on the Roof in 1971
(Image credit: RDB/Ullstein bild via Getty Images)

Topol, who has died aged 87, was loved by generations of film and theatregoers for his portrayal of Tevye, the “soulful shtetl milkman” in the musical Fiddler on the Roof, said The New York Times.

The part had been created on Broadway by Zero Mostel; but when the film version came to be made in 1971, its director, Norman Jewison, insisted that the role – “one of the most coveted” in Hollywood – should go instead to Topol, an Israeli actor who was scarcely known in the US. The film won him an Oscar nomination, and made him a star.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up