Chaim Topol

Chaim Topol
Chaim Topol
חיים טופול
	Topol in 1967
Born	September 9, 1935; Tel Aviv, Mandatory Palestine
Died	March 8, 2023 (aged 87); Tel Aviv, Israel
Nationality	Israeli
Other names	Haym Topol; Topol;
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1957–2015
Notable work	Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof (1971); Milos Columbo in For Your Eyes Only (1981);
Spouse	Galia Finkelstein; (m. 1956)
Children	3
Awards	Kinor David (1964); Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer—Male (1964); Golden Globe for Best Actor (1971); Israel Prize (2015);

Chaim Topol (Hebrew: חיים טופול; September 9, 1935 – March 8, 2023), mononymously known as Topol,^[1] was an Israeli actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Tevye, the lead role in the stage musical Fiddler on the Roof and the 1971 film adaptation, performing this role more than 3,500 times from 1967 through 2009.^[1]

Topol began acting during his Israeli army service as a member of the Nahal entertainment troupe. He later toured Israel with kibbutz theatre and satirical theatre companies. He was a co-founder of the Haifa Theatre. His breakthrough film role came in 1964 as the title character in Sallah Shabati, by Israeli writer Ephraim Kishon, for which he won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer—Male. Topol went on to appear in more than 30 films in Israel and the United States, including Galileo (1975), Flash Gordon (1980), and For Your Eyes Only (1981). He was described as Israel's only internationally recognized entertainer from the 1960s through the 1980s. He won a Golden Globe for Best Actor and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his 1971 film portrayal of Tevye, and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor for a 1991 Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof.

Topol was a founder of Variety Israel, an organization serving children with special needs, and Jordan River Village, a year-round camp for Arab and Jewish children with life-threatening illnesses, for which he served as chairman of the board. In 2015 he was awarded the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement.

^ ^a ^b Slater, Robert (February 6, 2013). "One More Fiddle for the Road". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved November 22, 2017.

[jp-1] Slater, Robert (February 6, 2013). "One More Fiddle for the Road". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved November 22, 2017.

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