Chaim Topol, Tevye of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ fame, dies at 87

Golden Globe winner Chaim Topol, the Israeli actor famed for his depiction of Tevye in the movie “Fiddler on the Roof,” died aged 87, Israeli officials said on Thursday.

Born in Tel Aviv in 1935, Topol grew up there before joining a military entertainment troupe where he was a singer and actor.

Following his army service, he moved to a kibbutz with his wife and worked as a mechanic while continuing performing in a theatre group he formed.

He rose to national fame with his 1964 depiction of Sallah Shabati in an Israeli film by that name, a comedy about the difficulties facing Jewish immigrants from Arab countries, winning a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer.

In 1966 Topol appeared in the Hollywood film “Cast a Giant Shadow,” and the next year began starring in the London stage version of the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” as the protagonist Tevye after playing the same character in an Israeli theatre for a few years.

Fiddler was made into a movie in 1971 with Topol, who won a second Golden Globe for his performance of Tevye the milkman, a Jew in a village in the Russian Empire marrying off his daughters.

He continued acting in the theatre and cinema over the years, including as Milos Columbo in the 1981 James Bond film “For Your Eyes Only,” and recorded a number of musical albums as a singer.

Topol was awarded the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement in 2015 from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on Thursday expressed “deep sorry” on the passing of one of the country’s “greatest artists”.

“Topol was a multi-faceted artist, with great charisma and energy,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “He proudly represented Israel around the world and received international recognition of a kind that few have received.”

President Isaac Herzog called Topol “a giant of Israeli culture” who “we’ll miss dearly”.

Topol was also the Israeli president of the Jordan River Village, a year-round camp for children in Israel with chronic illness.

A few years ago Topol had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, his son Omer said in a 2022 interview with Yediot Aharonot newspaper.

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