Zero Mostel

Biography

Zero Mostel was an American actor, comedian, and singer best known for comic characters on stage and screen. Born in Brooklyn, he trained as a painter and gave gallery talks before the Café Society nightclub hired him as a comedian in 1941, where he took the name Zero. He won Tony Awards for Rhinoceros, Fiddler on the Roof, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, creating the role of Tevye in Fiddler. His film work included Panic in the Streets (1950), The Hot Rock (1972), Rhinoceros (1974), and The Front (1976), for which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He also played Max Bialystock in The Producers (1968) and voiced Kehaar in Watership Down (1978).

62years old at death

Born February 28, 1915Brooklyn
Died September 8, 1977Philadelphia
Star sign: PiscesThe sign runs February 19 to March 20
Samuel Joel Mostel (birth name)Also credited as Samuel Joe Mostel and Sammy Mostel

Movie Career

Films: 12
Career span: 73 years1950 to 2023

Genres

Comedy42%, 5 films
Drama42%, 5 films
Thriller25%, 3 films
Action17%, 2 films
Crime17%, 2 films

First and latest

Photos

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Early training
Mostel trained as a painter through The Educational Alliance and studied art at the City College of New York, where he took only beginner classes repeatedly so he could keep painting and get professional feedback.
Getting ready for a role
Mostel originated Tevye in the original Broadway staging of Fiddler on the Roof, which opened in 1964. Out of respect for Sholem Aleichem, he pushed for the author's mood and style to be woven into the musical and shaped it heavily.
Behind the award
Mostel won his first Tony Award for playing Jean in Eugene Ionesco's Rhinoceros, a role whose onstage transformation from man to rhinoceros became legendary.

Zero Mostel movies on Netflix

Remembering Gene Wilder2023IMDb rating 7.8as Himself
Broadway's Lost Treasures2003IMDb rating 7.8as Tevye (segment "Fiddler On The Roof")
Watership Down1978IMDb rating 7.5as Kehaar (voice)
The Front1976IMDb rating 7.3as Hecky Brown
Journey into Fear1975IMDb rating 5.3as Kopelkin
Rhinoceros1974IMDb rating 5.7as John
The Hot Rock1972IMDb rating 6.8as Abe Greenberg
The Producers1968IMDb rating 7.5as Max Bialystock
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum1966IMDb rating 6.8as Pseudolus
Sirocco1951IMDb rating 6.2as Balukjiaan
The Enforcer1951IMDb rating 7.2as 'Big Babe' Lazich
Panic in the Streets1950IMDb rating 7.2as Raymond Fitch

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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The Producers1968 Comedyas Max Bialystock
IMDb rating 7.565K votes
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum1966 Comedy, Musicalas Pseudolus
IMDb rating 6.811K votes
The Front1976as Hecky Brown
IMDb rating 7.310K votes
The Enforcer1951as 'Big Babe' Lazich
IMDb rating 7.26.2K votes
Panic in the Streets1950as Raymond Fitch
IMDb rating 7.29.6K votes
Watership Down1978as Kehaarvoice
IMDb rating 7.544K votes
Rhinoceros1974as John
IMDb rating 5.71.4K votes
Sirocco1951as Balukjiaan
IMDb rating 6.23.2K votes

Most often with

Gene Wilder appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Gene Wilder

Humphrey Bogart

Michael Hordern

Roy Kinnear

Everett Sloane

John Bennett

Films together

Gene Wilder3 films together, 1968 to 2023
Gene Wilder's page
- Remembering Gene Wilder2023IMDb rating 7.8Mostel as HimselfWilder as Himself
- Rhinoceros1974IMDb rating 5.7Mostel as JohnWilder as Stanley
- The Producers1968IMDb rating 7.5Mostel as Max BialystockWilder as Leo Bloom
Humphrey Bogart2 films together, 1951
Humphrey Bogart's page
- Sirocco1951IMDb rating 6.2Mostel as BalukjiaanBogart as Harry Smith
- The Enforcer1951IMDb rating 7.2Mostel as 'Big Babe' LazichBogart as ADA Martin Ferguson
Michael Hordern2 films together, 1966 to 1978
Michael Hordern's page
- Watership Down1978IMDb rating 7.5Mostel as KehaarvoiceHordern as Frithvoice
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum1966IMDb rating 6.8Mostel as PseudolusHordern as Senex
Roy Kinnear2 films together, 1966 to 1978
Roy Kinnear's page
- Watership Down1978IMDb rating 7.5Mostel as KehaarvoiceKinnear as Pipkinvoice
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum1966IMDb rating 6.8Mostel as PseudolusKinnear as Gladiator Instructor
Everett Sloane2 films together, 1951
Everett Sloane's page
- Sirocco1951IMDb rating 6.2Mostel as BalukjiaanSloane as Gen. LaSalle
- The Enforcer1951IMDb rating 7.2Mostel as 'Big Babe' LazichSloane as Albert Mendoza
John Bennett2 films together, 1966 to 1978
John Bennett's page
- Watership Down1978IMDb rating 7.5Mostel as KehaarvoiceBennett as Capt. Hollyvoice
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum1966IMDb rating 6.8Mostel as PseudolusBennett as Pseudolus' mark
Also two films together2 more actors
- Dan RissThe Enforcer (1951) and Panic in the Streets (1950)
- Robert WeilRhinoceros (1974) and The Hot Rock (1972)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Awards

Four awards and honors from 1961 to 1974, three of them major.

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Zero Mostel's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Tony Awards
1965	Best Actor in a Musical	Fiddler on the Roof	Won
1963	Best Actor in a Musical	A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum	Won
1961	Best Actor in a Play	Rhinoceros	Won
Other honors
1974	Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play	Ulysses in Nighttown	Won

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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