By Adam S. Levy For Dailymail.com and the Associated Press
06:13 09 March 2023, updated 07:14 09 March 2023
- Actor best known for playing Tevye in stage and film productions of Fiddler
- He won a Golden Globe for his role in the 1971 film and was nominated for an Oscar
- The cause was not immediately released as Topol had been battling Alzheimer’s
Chaim Topol, a leading Israeli actor who charmed generations of theatergoers and moviegoers with his portrayal of Tevye, the long-suffering and charismatic milkman in Fiddler on the Roof, has died at 87 in Tel Aviv, Israeli officials said Thursday.
The cause was not immediately released, as Topol had been battling Alzheimer’s disease for years, according to Deadline.
The recipient of two Golden Globe Awards and nominated for both an Academy Award and a Tony Award, Topol has long been among Israel’s most decorated actors.
Later in 2015, he was celebrated for his contributions to film and culture with the Israel Lifetime Achievement Award, his country’s most prestigious honor.
Until a few years ago, he remained involved in the theater and said he was still fielding requests to play Tevye.
Topol got his start playing in an Israeli army theater troupe in the 1950s, where he met his future wife Galia.
His first big break was starring in the 1964 Israeli blockbuster Sallah Shabati, about the hardships of Middle Eastern immigrants to Israel. The film made history as the first Israeli film to earn an Oscar nomination and also earned Topol his first Golden Globe award.
Two years later, he made his English-language film debut alongside Kirk Douglas in Cast a Giant Shadow.
But the role of his life arrived in the long-running musical Fiddler on the Roof, where he played the dairyman protagonist Tevye, a Jewish father trying to maintain his family’s cultural traditions despite the unrest that gripped their Russian shtetl.
With his rich voice, folksy jokes and commanding stage presence, Topol’s Tevye, who drove his horse-drawn buggy and delivered milk, butter and eggs to the rich, became a popular hero in Israel and around the world.
After years playing Tevye on the London stage and on Broadway, he scored the title role in the 1971 Norman Jewison-directed film version, winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. He lost to Gene Hackman in The French Connection.
Topol played the role more than 3,500 times on stage, most recently in 2009. Using heavy makeup and costume work, he first portrayed the much older, stockier milkman in his 30s and literally aged into the role.
Topol faced stiff competition to secure the role in Jewison’s blockbuster – scores of talent have played Tevye in over a dozen languages since Fiddler on the Roof first appeared. Topol has said that his personal experience as a descendant of Russian Jews helped him relate to Tevye and deepen his performance.
The late entertainer was fondly remembered by a number of people as news of his passing spread.
‘RIP Topol. There could only be one fiddler on the roof, said actor Cary Elwes. ‘What joys I experienced as a child when I saw him work and spend time with his family. He was truly larger than life. A great husband to his wife, Galia, and a great father to his children. My heart breaks for them.’
Lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky wrote: ‘Tradition! So sad that ‘Tevye’ is gone as legendary Israeli performer Chaim Topol dies aged 87. May his memory always be blessed and his films and performances continue to entertain and inspire us!’
Actor Alan Mehdizadeh said: “Because of Topol I’ve wanted to play Tevye for over 20 years, If I Were a Rich Man was my first choice for audition singing whenever it was appropriate (or even if it wasn’t). Chaim Topol will always stand as one of the best character actors to ever grace the stage and screen.’
The Stand With Us organization said in a tweet: ‘We are saddened to learn of the death of Israeli actor Chaim Topol, who died this week at the age of 87. Topol became known worldwide for his portrayal of Tevye in the film version of Fiddler on the Roof. May his memory and legacy forever be a blessing.’
Israeli leaders tweeted their memories and condolences to Topol’s family on Thursday.
Israel’s ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, hailed Topol as ‘one of the most outstanding Israeli actors’ who ‘filled the movie screens with his presence and above all entered deep into our hearts’.
Benny Gantz, Israel’s former defense minister, praised Topol for helping Israelis reconnect with their roots: ‘We laughed and cried at the same time over the deepest wounds in Israeli society.’
Yair Lapid, leader of Israel’s opposition, said Topol taught Israelis ‘love of culture and love of country’.
Topol’s charity, Jordan River Village, also announced his death and hailed him as an ‘inspiration’ whose ‘legacy will continue for generations to come.’
In an interview with The Associated Press from his home in Tel Aviv in 2015, on the occasion of receiving the Israel Lifetime Achievement Award, Topol traced his meteoric rise from humble beginnings to worldwide fame.
‘I didn’t grow up in Hollywood. I was raised in a kibbutz, he said. “Sometimes I’m surprised when I come to China, when I come to Tokyo, or when I come to France, or when I come anywhere, and the clerk at immigration says ‘Topol, Topol, are you Topol?’
Topol also appeared in more than 30 other films, including the lead role in Galileo, Dr. Hans Zarkov in Flash Gordon and James Bond’s foil-turned ally Milos Columbo in For Your Eyes Only alongside Roger Moore.
But he became synonymous with only one role – Tevye. Topol poured his heart out about his impoverished Jewish community over the years, making audiences laugh and cry from the stages of Broadway and the West End.
‘How many people are known for a part? How many people in my profession are known worldwide?’ he told the AP. “I do not complain.”
Still, Topol said he sometimes needed to look outside acting to find meaning in his life. He devoted much of his later years to charity as chairman of the board of Jordan River Village, a camp serving Middle Eastern children with life-threatening illnesses.
“I’m interested in charity and find it more fulfilling than running from one (acting) part to another,” he said. ‘When you are successful in a film and the money flows, it is of course very nice. But telling you that’s the most important thing, I’m not sure.’
Topol is survived by his wife, three children and several grandchildren.