FIDDLER ON THE ROOF's Chaim Topol Receives Israeli Lifetime Achievement Prize

Variety reports that Israeli actor Chaim Topol, best known for his portrayal of Tevye the milkman in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, is the recipient of Israel's highest honor, The Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement.

The news was announced this morning by Israel's Education Ministry, which oversees the prize. The 79-year-old actor is the winner of two Golden Globes, including one for his performance as Tevye. He has also received Tony and Oscar nominations and has appeared on Broadway and London's West End.

Among Topol's earliest film appearances was the lead role in the 1964 film Sallah Shabati by Ephraim Kishon - a play, later adapted for film, depicting the hardships of a Mizrachi Jewish immigrant family in Israel of the early 1960s. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and earned the actor the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year - Actor. In 1966, Topol made his first English-language screen appearance as Abou Ibn Kaqden in the big-budget Mickey Marcus biopic Cast a Giant Shadow.

He came to greatest prominence in the role of Tevye the milkman in the long-running musical show Fiddler on the Roof, at Her Majesty's Theatre. After scoring a major success on the West End stage, he later starred in the 1971 film version.

In 1972, Topol won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his performance in the film.He was on active service with the Israeli army at the time, but was granted permission to attend the awards ceremonies. Some of his other notable appearances were in Galileo (1975), Flash Gordon (1980), and as Milos Columbo in James Bond movie For Your Eyes Only (1981).

In 1983, he reprised the role of Tevye in a London revival of Fiddler on the Roof. In the late 1980s, he played the role in a touring United States production. He was by now the approximate age of the character, and in fact the actress playing his wife Golde in the production, Rosalind Harris, had played his oldest daughter Tzeitel in the film.
In 1990, he again played the part in a Broadway revival of Fiddler, and was nominated for 1991 a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, losing to Jonathan Pryce. He played the part again in a 1994 London revival, which became a touring production. He has since played the part in various productions including stages in Europe, Australia and Japan.

His most recent film roles were in Left Luggage (1998) in the role of Mr. Apfelschnitt, and Time Elevator (1998) as Shalem. His autobiography, Chaim Topol on Topol, was published in London and Israel.

Topol is also an illustrator, responsible for drawings in several books, including A Treasury of Jewish Humour.

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