Trivia

Was on active duty with the Israeli army when he was nominated for an Oscar for "Fiddler on the Roof" in early 1972. He was granted leave so he could attend the ceremony in Los Angeles that year.

Was nominated for Broadway's 1991 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical) for a revival of "Fiddler on the Roof," a role he had previously played twenty years earlier in an Oscar-nominated performance in the film version of the same title, Fiddler on the Roof (1971).

In the late 1980s he toured the US in a stage revival of "Fiddler on the Roof." Unlike when he made the movie in 1971, he was Tevye's age by this time. The part of wife Golde was played by Rosalind Harris, who had played daughter Tzeitel in the movie.

His daughter, Anat, played the role of "Chava" in a 1995 production of "Fiddler on the Roof" alongside her father.

Has appeared in over 2500 stage performances as Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof".

First Israeli actor ever to be nominated for an Academy Award.

Before the 1971 film version, Topol had played Tevye in over 400 performances in London. Since the film's release, he has played the milkman over 2,000 times in places from United States and Canada, to Europe, Japan, and Australia.

Father of Omer and actress Ady Topol and Anat Topol.

By his own estimation, he has toured, as Tevye, in every state in the USA, and all the provinces of Canada, at least twice over the last four decades, always to appreciative audiences.

In a reprise of his role as Tevye, currently touring in Fiddler on the Roof at age 74. (February 2009)

The success of his award winning film Sallah Shabati (1964) partly led to him playing Tevye in the hit London stage production of 'Fiddler on the Roof' in London in 1967. This resulted in him being named 'Man of the Year' in London, Best Foreign Actor by the International Variety Poll of London Critics. He topped the single record charts with his single of 'If I Was a Rich Man' from the show.

His first name is Hebrew for "life", while his last name is Russian for "poplar".

Although just known by his surname of Topol, his given name is Chaim which is pronounced as Hyam and means life while Topol means tree, so literally his name means 'tree of life'.

His theatre appearances, apart from Fiddler, include 'Romanoff and Juliet', and the title role in 'Othello'.

Topol recently finished a two month season once again playing Tevye in Fiddler On the Roof at Capitol Theatre in Sydney, Australia. (November 2005)

He was from a family of five, with his father a plasterer and mother a sewing machinist. The family shared a 2-room flat with a family of 4.

One of his best friends - Rehavam ("Ghandi") Ze'evi, a minister in the Israeli government, was murdered in 2001 by a Palestinian terrorist.

Performing in Wellington, New Zealand as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. (April 2007)

Between acting assignments he serves as Resident Director of the Popular Theatre of Israel.

He was awarded the Israel Prize in 2015 for Lifetime Achievement and special contribution to society and state.

Voiced Bagheera in the Hebrew dub of Disney's 'The Jungle Book'.

His autobiography, Topol by Topol, was published in London by Weindenfel and Nicholson (1981). He also authored To Life! (1994) and Topol's Treasury of Jewish Humor, Wit and Wisdom (1995).

Topol illustrated approximately 25 books in both Hebrew and English.

His films include 'The Rooster' which was made by his own production company in Israel.

He produced drawings of Israeli national figures. His sketches of Israeli presidents were reproduced in a 2013 stamp series issued by the Israel Philatelic Federation, as was his self-portrait as Tevye for 2014 commemorative stamp marking the 50th anniversary of the Broadway debut of Fiddler on the Roof.

Shares his name (Topol) with a tooth-whitening anti-cavity toothpaste that's been on the market for several years, and is still being sold today.

In 1963 he made the film 'Salah' playing an old man (Sallah Shabati) which led to him being chosen for 'Fiddler on the Roof'. For his role, he won a Golden Globe Award as most promising male newcomer.

He was also nominated for the 1971 Academy Award for Best Actor, losing to Gene Hackman in The French Connection.

In 2014, the University of Haifa conferred upon Topol an honorary degree in recognition of his 50 years of activity in Israel's cultural and public life.

In 1967, Topol founded Variety Israel, an organization serving children with special needs.

In 2009, Topol began a farewell tour of Fiddler on the Roof as Tevye, opening in Wilmington, Delaware. He was forced to withdraw from the tour in Boston owing to a shoulder injury, and was replaced by Theodore Bikel and Harvey Fierstein, both of whom had portrayed Tevye on Broadway.

For his performance in Fidler on the Roof, Topol won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, the Sant Jordi Award for Best Performance in a Foreign Film, and the 1972 David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actor, sharing the latter with Elizabeth Taylor.

Topol was featured on two BBC One programs, the six-part series Topol's Israel (1985) and earlier It's Topol (1968).

In 1960, Topol co-founded the Haifa Municipal Theatre with Yosef Milo, serving as assistant to the director and acting in plays by Shakespeare, Ionesco, and Brecht.

Topol's first film appearance was in the 1961 film I Like Mike, followed by the 1963 Israeli film El Dorado.

In 2014, he appeared in Raising the Roof, a 50th-anniversary tribute to Fiddler at New York City's Town Hall produced by National Yiddish Theatre. The evening featured Chita Rivera, Joshua Bell, Sheldon Harnick, Andrea Martin, Jerry Zaks, and more, and was co-directed by Gary John La Rosa and Erik Liberman.

In 2015, he received the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement.

He was also a co-founder and chairman of the board of Jordan River Village, a year-round camp for Arab and Jewish children with life-threatening illnesses, which opened in 2012. It was inspired by Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.

He was to appear in Michael Powell's film of "The Tempest," due to start shooting in Greece in 1975, before the project collapsed.

Topol was a recipient of Israel's Kinor David award in arts and entertainment in 1964.

In 2008, he was named an Outstanding Member of the Israel Festival for his contribution to Israeli culture.

He received a Best Actor award from the San Sebastián International Film Festival for his performance in the 1972 film Follow Me.

In 1976, Topol played the lead role of the baker, Amiable, in the new musical The Baker's Wife, but was fired after eight months by producer David Merrick. In her autobiography, Patti LuPone, his co-star in the production, claimed that Topol had behaved unprofessionally on stage and had a strained relationship with her off-stage. The show's composer, Stephen Schwartz, claimed that Topol's behavior greatly disturbed the cast and directors and resulted in the production not reaching Broadway as planned.

Topol reprised the role of Tevye for a 1997-1998 touring production in Israel, as well as a 1998 show at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne. In September 2005 he returned to Australia for a Fiddler on the Roof revival at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney followed by an April 2006 production at the Lyric Theatre in Brisbane, and a June 2006 production at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne. In May 2007, he starred in a production at the Auckland Civic Theatre.

In 1965 he performed in the Cameri Theatre in Tel Aviv.

Between 1960 and 1964, Topol performed with the Batzal Yarok ("Green Onion") satirical theatre company, which also toured Israel. Other members of the group included Uri Zohar, Nechama Hendel, Zaharira Harifai, Arik Einstein, and Oded Kotler.

Is not related to American actor Richard Topol, who was born in New York City, New York, USA, and who, like Topol, is also Jewish.