Chaim Topol, Fiddler on the Roof star, dies at 87

Chaim Topol
(Image credit: David M. Benett/Getty Images)

Chaim Topol, the award-winning actor best known for starring in Fiddler on the Roof both on stage and the big screen, has died. He was 87.

The actor's death was confirmed to CNN by his representative, who said he died after a "long illness." He suffered from Alzheimer's disease, according to Variety.

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Topol later played the role again during a Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof, for which he was nominated at the 1991 Tonys, as well as a London revival. He also starred as Hans Zarkov in the Flash Gordon movie and Milos Columbo in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only, and he won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer for his performance in 1964's Sallah Shabati.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog paid tribute to Topol, who was born in Tel Aviv, as a "gifted actor who conquered many stages in Israel and overseas, filled the cinema screens with his presence and especially entered deep into our hearts," per Variety. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also honored him as a "multi-faceted artist, with great charisma and energy," adding that "his contribution to Israeli culture will live on for generations" and that he "greatly loved the land of Israel, and the people of Israel loved him in return."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.