Topol, star of Fiddler On The Roof and Bond, dies aged 87
FIDDLER On The Roof star Chaim Topol has died at the age of 87.
Mainly referred to by just his last name, the beloved Israeli actor starred as Tevye the Milkman in the popular musical on stage across five decades and in the 1971 film. He is thought to have been diagnosed with dementia last year.
Israeli president Isaac Herzog confirmed in a statement that the actor had died in Tel Aviv. He described Topol as ‘one of the giants of Israeli culture’.
He played Tevye more than 3,500 times on stage. Make-up and costume helped him become the much older, burlier dairyman when he first started in his 30s.
Topol also starred in Flash Gordon and played James Bond’s ally Milos Columbo opposite Roger Moore in For Your Eyes Only.
He started persuing acting in the 1950s. But his career gained traction after he won a Golden Globe for most promising male newcomer for his role in 1964 Israeli comedy Sallah Shabati.
Topol went on to star in films in Israel and the US, including the 1975 adaptation of Galileo. American actor Josh Gad wrote on Twitter: ‘There is no way to overstate how much this man and this performance meant to me.’