'Fiddler on the Roof' star Topol dies in Israel aged 87
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli actor and singer Chaim Topol, best known for his role as Tevye the dairyman in the musical 'Fiddler on the Roof', has died in Israel aged 87.
Topol, known by his last name alone, won worldwide fame talking and singing and dancing his way through "If I Were A Rich Man" and other hits from the show on stage and on screen in the 1971 film version.
"My wife and I, and all the citizens of Israel, with deep pain are parting from our dear Chaim Topol - loved by the audience and one of the great artists of Israel," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on Twitter.
Topol was born in Tel Aviv in 1935 and founded a comedy troupe after completing military service as a member of an entertainment troupe.
His first on-screen role was in "I Like Mike" in 1961, and his part in the Israeli comedy film Sallah Shabbati in 1964 won him his first Golden Globe, for most promising male newcomer.
His performance as Tevye won him his second - a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Film Comedy or Musical - and an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Topol initially rejected the leading role in an earlier staged production of "Fiddler on the Roof", thinking it would not resonate with Israeli audiences, according the Israeli National Library archives.
But the show's setting and storyline in a Jewish community in Imperial Russia gave it a resonance far beyond its catchy musical numbers and striking staging.
Topol, who eventually changed him mind and was chosen above the likes of Walter Matthau and Danny Kaye for the film role, grew to embody the character of Tevye clinging to his traditional roots as the world exploded around him.
Other film roles - including slightly mad scientist Dr Hans Zarkov in "Flash Gordon" and smuggler Milos Columbo in the James Bond outing "For Your Eyes Only" - won him cult fans.
But for most people, he was forever the bearded father figure, blasting out "Tradition!" while watching his daughters heading out to make their own choices in life.
Israel's President Isaac Herzog described Topol as a "gifted actor who conquered many stages in Israel and overseas, filled the cinema screens with his presence and especially entered deep into our hearts."
Israeli media reported he died at home on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Emily Rose; Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Andrew Heavens)
