Since Zero Mostel played the role on Broadway, and Topol played him in the movie, I don’t think this makes your point very well. 
Lots of folks played him during the initial Broadway run, including Herschel Bernardi (the original voice of Charlie the Tuna) and Harry Goz (Who? He’s the guy I saw in the role). I did see Zero Mostel as Tevye during a revival of the role. And, many years after the film, I saw Topol playing him onstage.
But it’s true – there are lots of Tevye’s (I’ve seen many others in the role). They’re all good. And they’re all different.
nvm
Mostel originated the role, adding much to the part from his own experiences, including the mumbles during “If I Were a Rich Man” that became part of the song. While each actor brings their own interpretation to the part, Mostel’s initial interpretation of Tevya was very formative for all future actors playing the role.
Comment: When FOTR was playing in Los Angeles my Mom and sister went to see it one Sunday; they had expected to see Herschel Bernardi as Teyve. But when they got back, I was reading the program, and it said that on weekends the part was played by Bernardi’s understudy, Paul Lipson.
Apparently, post #129 somehow got garbled, so I’ll try again:
Here’s how it should have looked:
You did. He was the priest.
Anyway, as the OP has explained, for a movie of that size you need a big name to draw people in who would otherwise maybe not have gone to see it. Colm Wilkinson isn’t going to do that, nor are any of the hundreds of Valjeans who have played the part all over the world. Hugh Jackman can.
I can only assume that Annie-Xmas’s reply was supposed to be
To which my reply is now:
Sure, but if the movie had not been made in the first place without Jackman, I supposed he’d qualify.
I actually preferred Brian Cox’s portrayal of Lecter in “Manhunter”, in many ways, as good as Hopkins, but clearly produced with less money.
Harold Russell in The Best Years of Our Lives.
Regards,
Shodan
Well, now Gary Sinise could. You know, with CGI.