At the age of 87, Chaim Topol passed away. He was an Israeli actor and vocalist best known for playing Tevye the Milkman in Fiddler on the Roof.
According to local media, Topol, who was well-known just by his last name, passed away on Wednesday at home in Israel while being surrounded by his family.
His son recently confirmed that he had received a dementia diagnosis the previous year.
Israel’s president Isaac Herzog paid tribute to Topol in a statement announcing his passing, calling him a “talented actor who dominated numerous stages in Israel and abroad, filled the cinema screens with his presence, and especially entered deep into our hearts.”
Who played the best Tevye?
Leading Israeli actor Chaim Topol’s portrayal of Tevye won over countless generations of theatergoers and moviegoers.
How old was Topol when he played Tevye?
In 1966, he was only 30 years old when he made his stage debut as Tevye, a fiftysomething man.
How many times did Topol play Tevye?
For the course of the musical’s five decades on stage, Topol played Tevye. He once calculated that he had played the part more than 3,500 times.