Episode 46 - Topol is Still a Fiddler on the Roof

"We would get them to smile. And obviously every few years we had a war. There were times that we performed 4-5 times a day, either it was a place where there were 8 or 10 soldiers, and sometimes even 1000. And in my time, we never used microphones. We screamed. When I finished my service I had a neck wider than my head." Long before Gal Gadot, Topol was the first and only Israeli international superstar. His path to fame started in 1964, when he starred in Kishon’s film Sallah Shabati, the first Israeli film to be nominated for an Oscar, and for this role he received a Golden globe. From there, his road to the role of Tevye was short. He first portrayed him in West End in London,and then in the 1971 Norman Jewishon Hollywood adaptation. For this role he also received a Golden globe and was nominated for an oscar for best actor. As he continued performing on stage, he starred in numerous films, including James Bond, and appeared on British Prime time television.