# (Chaim) Topol, 1935-2023 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [March 9, 2023, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906 "2023-03-09T05:54:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/1 "2023-03-09T05:54:00Z")
It hasn’t hit the international press yet, but Israeli actor Chaim Topol, most famous for his definitive performance in _Fiddler on the Roof_, passed away last night at the age of 87. > **[Fiddler on the Roof star Chaim Topol passes away at 88](https://www.jpost.com/j-spot/article-733708)** > > Chaim Topol is well-known for his role as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof for which he won a Golden Globe. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/2 "2023-03-09T06:06:34Z")
I was just watching Fiddler the other day. One of my favorites. Topol had a very different take on the role of Tevye than Zero Mostel did on Broadway. Apparently Mostel was a bit more loose and clownish. Topol had a sort of gravitas in the film version, and as much as I adore Mostel I think I’m glad for how the movie was cast. Sorry to hear of his passing. L’chaim! ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/3 "2023-03-09T09:21:22Z")
His passing hit the news in Australia just a few minutes ago. What a sadness, he was just a master of his role in Fiddler. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/4 "2023-03-09T09:39:18Z")
Only thing I’ve ever seen him in was _Flash Gordon_, but he was memorable in that role - and considering how campy and over-the-top that movie was, that’s saying something. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/9zqKkp3ClaU/maxresdefault.jpg "FLASH GORDON...You can't beat the human spirit") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zqKkp3ClaU) ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/5 "2023-03-09T13:01:41Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Only thing I’ve ever seen him in was _Flash Gordon_ You’ve never seen the Bond film _For Your Eyes Only_? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/6 "2023-03-09T13:06:43Z")
I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a Bond film. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/7 "2023-03-09T13:16:22Z")
As I recall, he got the part in _Fiddler_ because the director thought Zero Mostel’s performance was “too big, too American”. Topol was wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/8 "2023-03-09T13:33:34Z")
I got to see him perform in the travelling stage show many years ago. There were comments at the time how he had started playing Tevye as a young man made up to look old, progressed through being the right age and having his own daughters play Tevye’s daughters, until he was an old man made up to look younger in order to play the part. That’s just an incredible history, and he was wonderful both on stage and on screen. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/9 "2023-03-09T17:23:16Z")
> **[Chaim Topol, 'Fiddler on the Roof' actor, dies age 87 | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/09/entertainment/chaim-topol-dies-intl-scli/index.html)** > > Chaim Topol, the actor best known for playing Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof," has died in Israel following "a long illness," his representative confirmed to CNN Thursday. He was 87. > **[Topol, Star of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ Onscreen and Onstage, Dies at 87](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/09/movies/topol-dead.html)** > > Wide acclaim for the role of Tevye helped make him, according to one newspaper, “Israel’s most famous export since the Jaffa orange.” > **[Chaim Topol, Tevye in Film and Stage Versions of ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ Dies...](https://variety.com/2023/theater/obituaries-people-news/chaim-topol-dead-fiddler-on-the-roof-1235547731/)** > > Chaim Topol, who became professionally known solely by his last name in a career that included starring in “Fiddler on the Roof” on stage and screen and co-starring in the James Bond mo… > **[Chaim Topol obituary](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2023/mar/09/topol-obituary)** > > Israeli actor of stage and screen who made Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof his own > **[Chaim Topol, the Israeli actor known for Tevye of Fiddler on the Roof, has died](https://www.npr.org/2023/03/09/1162126272/chaim-topol-tevye-dies)** > > Chaim Topol, who has died at 87, was beloved for his portrayal of Tevye, Fiddler's long-suffering and charismatic milkman. Topol long has ranked among Israel's most decorated actors. Why did he only use his last name? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/10 "2023-03-09T17:29:40Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Why did he only use his last name? It appears that it was the result of the English producers of _Fiddler on the Roof_ being unable to correctly pronounce “Chaim”: > [@](#): > > Unable to pronounce the Hebrew letter het in Topol’s first name, Chaim, the British producers kept referring to the actor as “Shame.” Would he mind going by his last name only, they asked sheepishly? And from then on, he referred to himself by his last name only, Topol. > **[One more fiddle for the road](https://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Lifestyle/One-more-fiddle-for-the-road)** > > At 77, Chaim Topol is considering a return to the stage as Tevye the Dariyman. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/11 "2023-03-09T18:58:34Z")
I once saw him in Kensington High Street…though it could have been Ringo Starr… ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/12 "2023-03-09T19:09:26Z")
> [@](#): > > I once saw him in Kensington High Street…though it could have been Ringo Starr… Not a classic anecdote… ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/13 "2023-03-09T19:26:01Z")
> [@tofor](#): > > I got to see him perform in the travelling stage show many years ago. Same here, a huge highlight for me. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2023, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/14 "2023-03-09T23:12:47Z")
This is sad news. On the other hand… RIP, Topol. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/15 "2023-03-10T05:04:35Z")
Thanks to my parents’ use of a tape of the “Fiddler on the Roof” soundtrack on long car trips when I was young, he pretty much was part of the foundation of my musical education (among other various things). I’m actually amazed by the other performances of his that I remember dearly, but didn’t associate with the same person - if I don’t have face blindness, I’m very close to it. Indeed, this is sad news. But, RIP, Topol. I appreciated you more than I knew. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/16 "2023-03-10T05:16:44Z")
> [@tofor](#): > > I got to see him perform in the travelling stage show many years ago. > [@needscoffee](#): > > Same here, a huge highlight for me. Ditto, ditto. Right up there with seeing Yul Brenner in _The King and I_ and Joel Grey in _Cabaret_. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/17 "2023-03-10T07:35:51Z")
_Sunrise, sunset_ _Sunrise, sunset_ _Swiftly fly the years_ _One season following another_ _Laden with happiness and tears_ L’chaim! 🥂 ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/18 "2023-03-10T16:13:02Z")
I saw The King and I with Yul Brenner in the late 70s when I was about 9. I was adamantly opposed to going to see it and came out loving it. ---
**Author:** ![dummygladhands71](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@dummygladhands71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dummygladhands71)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/19 "2023-03-11T01:43:53Z")
Awww, he was perfect! ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906/20 "2023-03-11T03:09:03Z")
I was lucky enough to see Topol in Fiddler, live on stage a well. He made it seem so intimate, like he was talking just to you. I’m another that feels lucky to have seen him, and also Joel Grey in Cabaret, Richard Harris in Camelot, Ted Neely and Carl Anderson in Jesus Christ Superstar. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chaim-topol-1935-2023/980906.md?page=2)