Chaim Topol was an award winning Israeli actor, singer, and illustrator best known for his lead role in the stage musical and the 1971 film adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof. Topol's career in acting began whilst serving in the Israeli army where he was assigned to the entertainment troop and later toured Israel with kibbutz theatre and satirical theatre companies. In 1964 he got his breakthrough in a film called Sallah Shabati, a role he won a Golden Globe award for Most promising newcomer. He... moreChaim Topol was an award winning Israeli actor, singer, and illustrator best known for his lead role in the stage musical and the 1971 film adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof. Topol's career in acting began whilst serving in the Israeli army where he was assigned to the entertainment troop and later toured Israel with kibbutz theatre and satirical theatre companies. In 1964 he got his breakthrough in a film called Sallah Shabati, a role he won a Golden Globe award for Most promising newcomer. He also won another Golden Globe for best actor in a motion picture comedy or musical for Fiddler on the Roof in 1972, not to mention an Oscar-nominated performance of Tevye the milkman. His career expanded to the Unites states appearing in more than 30 films throughout his career. Topol founded Variety Israel an organization that was involved in charity work with sick and disabled children. He also recorded several albums, including film soundtracks, children's songs, and Israeli war songs to his name. He was also a playwright and screenwriter. He was awarded the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement in 2015.
