Chaim Topol, Fiddler on the Roof star, dies at 87

Chaim Topol, the award-winning actor best known for starring in Fiddler on the Roof both on stage and the big screen, has died. He was 87.

The actor's death was confirmed to CNN by his representative, who said he died after a "long illness." He suffered from Alzheimer's disease, according to Variety.

Topol famously starred as milkman Tevye in the 1971 film version of Fiddler on the Roof after previously playing the role on stage during its West End production. He was nominated for Best Actor for the performance at the 1972 Oscars, and he won best actor in a musical or comedy film at the Golden Globes.

Topol later played the role again during a Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof, for which he was nominated at the 1991 Tonys, as well as a London revival. He also starred as Hans Zarkov in the Flash Gordon movie and Milos Columbo in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only, and he won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer for his performance in 1964's Sallah Shabati.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog paid tribute to Topol, who was born in Tel Aviv, as a "gifted actor who conquered many stages in Israel and overseas, filled the cinema screens with his presence and especially entered deep into our hearts," per Variety. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also honored him as a "multi-faceted artist, with great charisma and energy," adding that "his contribution to Israeli culture will live on for generations" and that he "greatly loved the land of Israel, and the people of Israel loved him in return."

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