Stage

Chaim Topol, Fiddler on the Roof actor, dies aged 87

Actor and singer estimated he had performed role of Tevye the Dairyman in the stage musical more than 3,500 times

Fiddler on the Roof actor Chaim Topol has died at the age of 87

Sian Cain
Thu Mar 9 2023 - 06:30

Chaim Topol, the Israeli actor and singer best known for his performance as Tevye the Dairyman in Fiddler on the Roof, has died at the age of 87.

Topol, who was widely known by his last name alone, died at home in Israel on Wednesday while surrounded by his family, local media reported.

In a statement announcing Topol’s death, Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, described him 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.”

Topol played Tevye in the stage musical for four decades, once estimating that he had performed the role more than 3,500 times. He also played the pious Jewish father in the 1971 film, for which he won a Golden Globe award for best actor, and was nominated for best actor at the Academy Awards.

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Just 30 years old when he first began playing 50-something Tevye on stage in 1966, Topol used makeup and costuming to make himself appear older and heavier than his years; in 2009, when he finished performing the role in his seventies, he had to act younger than his years.

“How many people are known for one part? How many people in my profession are known worldwide? So I am not complaining,” he said in a 2015 interview.

“Sometimes I am surprised when I come to China or when I come to Tokyo or when I come to France or when I come wherever and the clerk at the immigration says ‘Topol, Topol, are you Topol?’ So yes, many people saw [Fiddler], and it is not a bad thing.”

In his later years, Topol wrote and illustrated books, and founded a nonprofit for children with special needs. In 2015, he was awarded the Israel Prize, one of the country’s top honours. – Guardian

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