Topol
Biography
Topol was an Israeli actor and singer, best known for playing Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. Born in Tel Aviv, he began performing with the Nahal entertainment troupe during his army service, then toured with kibbutz and satirical theater companies. He co-founded the Haifa Theatre and broke through as the title character in Sallah Shabati, winning a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer, Male. He first played Tevye in an Israeli production in 1966, later starring in London and many revivals and estimating more than 3,500 performances. His performance in the 1971 film brought a Golden Globe for Best Actor and an Academy Award nomination, and the 1991 Broadway revival earned him a Tony Award nomination. Topol also appeared in Galileo (1975), Flash Gordon (1980), and For Your Eyes Only (1981). In 2015, Israel gave him its Israel Prize for lifetime achievement.
87years old at death
- Born Tel Aviv
- Died Tel Aviv
- Star sign: VirgoThe sign runs August 23 to September 22
- Also credited as Chaim Topol, Haim Topol and Hayim Topol
Movie Career
- Films
- 8
- Career span
- 56 years1966 to 2022
Genres
- Adventure38%, 3 films
- Documentary38%, 3 films
- Drama38%, 3 films
- Action25%, 2 films
- Family13%, 1 film
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Big break
For the 1971 movie version of Fiddler on the Roof, Norman Jewison picked Topol to play Tevye. Danny Kaye, Herschel Bernardi, Rod Steiger, Danny Thomas, Walter Matthau, Richard Burton and Frank Sinatra had all wanted the part too.
A role that slipped away
In 1976, Topol played Amiable, the baker, in the new musical The Baker's Wife. Producer David Merrick fired him after eight months.
Languages
Topol did not speak English fluently yet, so he learned the score by hearing the original Broadway cast album and went over the lyrics with a British native.
About the name
Topol became known by his last name alone during the London run because the English producers could not pronounce the voiceless uvular fricative consonant at the start of Chaim and called him Shame.
Beyond film
Topol's voice work included the Hebrew dubs of Bagheera in The Jungle Book and its 2003 sequel, and of Rubeus Hagrid in the first two Harry Potter films.
Topol movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Nine actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Brian Blessed's page
Sam J. Jones's page
Richard O'Brien's page
Melody Anderson's page
Peter Wyngarde's page
Sheldon Harnick's page
Also two films together3 more actors
- Michele MarshFiddler's Journey to the Big Screen (2022) and Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
- Neva SmallFiddler's Journey to the Big Screen (2022) and Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
- Rosalind HarrisFiddler's Journey to the Big Screen (2022) and Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Awards
Six awards and honors from 1964 to 2015, two of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Globes | |||
| 1965 | New Star of the Year – Actor | Won | |
| Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | Fiddler on the Roof | Won | |
| Other honors | |||
| 2015 | Israel Prize | Won | |
| 1964 | Kinor David | Won | |
| David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actor | Won | ||
| Honorary doctorate of Haifa University | Honorary | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.