Chaim Topol (Hebrew: חיים טופול; born September 9, 1935), often billed simply as Topol, is an Israeli theatrical and film performer.
Topol was born in Tel Aviv, in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine, to Rel (née Goldman) and Jacob Topol. He first practiced acting in amateur theatrical plays staged by the Israeli Army. Subsequently he established his own theatre troupe in Tel Aviv, and in 1961, he significantly contributed to the foun...
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Chaim Topol (Hebrew: חיים טופול; born September 9, 1935), often billed simply as Topol, is an Israeli theatrical and film performer.
Topol was born in Tel Aviv, in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine, to Rel (née Goldman) and Jacob Topol. He first practiced acting in amateur theatrical plays staged by the Israeli Army. Subsequently he established his own theatre troupe in Tel Aviv, and in 1961, he significantly contributed to the foundation of the Haifa Municipal Theatre.
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...
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