Israeli actor Chaim Topol has passed away at the age of 87 following a years-long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Topol is best known among geeks for playing Doctor Hans Zarkov in the 1980 cult classic big-screen adaptation of Flash Gordon. His most defining role, however, was as Tevya on stage and in the film adaptation of the musical Fiddler on the Roof for which he won the Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar. He may also be recognized among Western audiences for his villainous role as Columbo in the James Bond installment For Your Eyes Only.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Galia, their three children, and multiple grandchildren. Topol had been residing in his native Israel in Tel Aviv.
Topol made an international name for himself with the 1964 film Sallah Shabati. The film won Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes. From there, he was cast in a small role in the American film Cast a Giant Shadow.
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Topol once declared that he had played Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof more than 3,500 times. After playing the role in a Hebrew production in Israel in 1967, he was selected to head to London’s West End to star. He went on to appear in hundreds of performances.
Director Norman Jewison chose Topol to star in the lavish 1971 film version. The movie was nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Actor for Topol.
Among nerds, Topol, who was billed simply as “Topol,” gained immortality for playing the slightly nefarious Doctor Hans Zarkov in the Mike Hodges-directed comic strip adaptation Flash Gordon, produced by Dino De Laurentiis. Topol was one of the three protagonists alongside Sam J. Jones’ Flash Gordon and Melody Anderson’s Dale Arden. Max Von Sydow portrayed the film’s villain, Ming the Merciless. The film also featured Ornella Muti as Princess Aura, Timothy Dalton as Prince Barin, and Brian Blessed as Prince Vultan.
Flash Gordon was just one of many big-budget sci-fi flicks released in the wake of Star Wars, which took the world by storm in 1977. Like most of these others, Flash Gordon was a box office disappointment. But thanks to cable and home video, it developed a cult following over the years and even gained popularity thanks to the 2012 comedy Ted.
Rest in Peace, Chaim Topol.
