10th March, Mumbai: One of the most celebrated artists in Israel, Chaim Topol, has won two Golden Globes and been nominated for an Oscar Award and a Tony Award. Israeli government said Thursday that Chaim Topol, a well-known actor who won over generations of theatregoers and moviegoers with his portrayal of Tevye, the patient and charismatic milkman in Fiddler on the Roof, had passed away in Tel Aviv. He was 87. The cause wasn’t made public right away.
Israeli officials tweeted their remembrances and heartfelt condolences to Topol’s family on Thursday. Chaim Topol was praised as “one of the most outstanding Israeli actors” by Israel’s honorary President, Isaac Herzog, who also said that Topol “got deeply into our hearts” in addition to filling the movie screens with his presence. The contribution of Topol to Israeli culture, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “will endure for decades to come.” Former Israeli defence minister Benjamin Gantz hailed Chaim Topol for assisting Israelis in reuniting with their ancestors. He said of Topol’s performance, “We laughed and grieved at the same time over the deepest scars of Israeli society. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid claimed that Topol instilled among Israelis a “passion of culture and love of the land.” Jordan River Village, Topol’s non-profit organisation, also made the announcement of his passing and hailed him as a “inspiration” whose “impact will continue for decades to come.”
Chaim Topol, a two-time Golden Globe winner and Tony and Academy Award candidate, has long been considered one of Israel’s most prestigious actors. More recently, in 2015, he received the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement, his nation’s highest honour, in acknowledgment of his contributions to film and culture. He continued to be involved in theatre up until a few years ago, and he claimed that he was still getting requests to portray Tevye. He spent years performing as Tevye on stage in London and on Broadway before landing the main role in the Norman Jewison-directed movie adaptation in 1971. He won the Golden Globe for best lead actor and was nominated for an Oscar Award for best actor. In The French Connection, Gene Hackman triumphed over him. In the 1950s, Topol began acting while serving in the Israeli army, when he first met his future wife Galia. His first significant break came when he was cast in the title character of the 1964 Israeli popular film Sallah Shabati, which chronicled the struggles of Middle Eastern immigrants to Israel. The movie was the first Israeli production to be nominated for an Oscar Award, and it also won Topol his first Golden Globe. Topol appeared in more than 30 more films, including Galileo, Flash Gordon, and For Your Eyes Only with Roger Moore as James Bond’s enemy Milos Columbo, Dr. Hans Zarkov, and Topol.
Yet, he was forever associated with the character Tevye. As he spoke from the heart about his struggling Jewish community over the years on Broadway and the West End stages, Topol brought audiences to tears and laughter.