Topol

Actor, also producer · Died March 8, 2023, aged 87 · Tel Aviv, Israel

Chaim Topol (September 9, 1935 - March 8, 2023), often billed simply as Topol, was an Israeli theatrical and film performer, singer and illustrator. He is best known for his portrayal of Tevye, the lead role in the stage musical Fiddler on the Roof and the 1971 film adaptation, performing this role more than 3,500 times from 1967 through 2009. Description above from the Wikipedia article Chaim Topol, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

What are Topol's films like?

Across their 10 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.

Genres

Comedy3 titles19^th

Action2 titles65^th

Documentary2 titles75^th

Drama2 titles85^th

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight

Bonds

23%

Society

20%

Morality

16%

Self

14%

Ideas

12%

Power

11%

Survival

4%

Identity3 Marriage2 Freedom2 Tradition vs change2

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films

ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

Earnest

Tone · Sincerity

ironicearnest

Ironic 1 · Wry 0 · Earnest 7

Light

Tone · Weight

lightdark

Light 6 · Serious 3 · Dark 1

Stylized

Tone · Style

naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 3

Charged

Feel · Intensity

gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 4 · Intense 3

Shifting

Feel · Swings

steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 5 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs

Feel · Humor

noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 2

Even-paced

Demand · Pace

slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 2

Engaged

Demand · Attention

casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 6 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 1

Easy watch

Demand · Emotional cost

easyheavy

Easy watch 6 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 1

Resolved

Demand · Resolution

resolvedambiguous

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 3 of 6 analyzed roles.

Hero

3 of 6

Shadow

1 of 6

Mentor

1 of 6

Shapeshifter

1 of 6

Heroas Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
Heroas Julian Cristoforou in The Public Eye (1972)
Shadowas Gen. Molina in A Talent for Loving (1973)
Heroas Michael in The House on Garibaldi Street (1979)
Mentoras Dr. Hans Zarkov in Flash Gordon (1980)
Shapeshifteras Columbo in For Your Eyes Only (1981)

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm

4

Joyful

4

Tense

3

Thrilling

2

Hopeful

2

Other

9

How their films linger

Feel-good7 Hopeful4 Bittersweet3 Thought-provoking2 Fun2 Rousing2

How their films end · 1 with a twist

Happy6
Bittersweet4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Topol's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 11 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Kino Film Collection1 title, show their title on Kino Film Collection
ScreenPix1 title, show their title on ScreenPix
Shout! TV1 title, show their title on Shout! TV

Subscription and free streaming for Topol's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

28 credits, 11 with a Motif page; 8 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

Bialik - King of the Jews (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2014)
as Hayim Nahman Bialik
Inside 'For Your Eyes Only' (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2000)
Actor
Left Luggage (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1998)
as Yacov Apfelschnitt
SeaQuest 2032(1993)
Show 1 episode · as Dr. Rafik Hassan
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows
War and Remembrance (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1988)
Show 11 episodes · as Berel Jastrow
Queenie (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1987)
Show 2 episodes · as Dimitri Goldner
Roman Behemshechim (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1985)
as Effi Avidar
The Winds of War (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1983)
Show 7 episodes · as Berel Jastrow
For Your Eyes Only(1981)
as Milos Columbo
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Flash Gordon(1980)
as Dr. Hans Zarkov
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
The House on Garibaldi Street(1979)
as Michael
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Tales of the Unexpected(1979)
Show 1 episode · as Professor Max Kelada
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows
Galileo(1975)
as Galileo Galilei
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Big Truck and Sister Clare(1974)
Producer
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
The Going Up of David Lev (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1973)
as Chaim
The Public Eye(1972)
as Julian Cristoforou
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Fiddler on the Roof(1971)
as Tevye
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
The Rooster (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1971)
as Gadi Zur
Norman Jewison, Film Maker (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1971)
Thanks · as Self (uncredited)
Before Winter Comes (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1969)
as Janovic
A Talent for Loving(1973)
as Mexikanischer Bandit
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Ervinka (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1967)
Producer · as Ervinka
Cast a Giant Shadow(1966)
as Abou Ibn Kader
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Sallah (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1964)
as Sallah Shabati
Tel Katzir (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1964)
as Narrator (voice)
El Dorado (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1963)
as Benny Sherman
The True Story of Palestine (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1962)
Actor
I Like Mike (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1961)
as Micha

Career shape

Star power in the 93^rd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 27 titles from 1961 to 2014; peak year 1970.

Biggest box office

For Your Eyes Only (1981)

$55M worldwide

Highest rated

Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Midcredits 97^th

Film career

19612014

Peak 1970 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

1966Screen debut· Cast a Giant Shadow
1971First top-billed film· Fiddler on the Roof

By role

only this rolewith another role

Acting26 of 27 · 65^thProducing1 of 27Other crew1 of 27

By decade

1960s9 · 9 acting · 1 crew1970s8 · 7 acting · 1 crew1980s6 · acting1990s2 · acting2000s1 · acting2010s1 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 20% of 5 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Topol's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Midcredits score in the 62^nd percentile, the median of all 9; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 62^nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

62^ndpercentile

Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

67^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

51^stpercentile

Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 11 titles, by percentile

75^th and up2
50^th to 74^th6
25^th to 49^th1
Below 25^th2

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 11 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

Universally Loved1
Divisive1
Crowd Pleaser7
Mixed2

Most divisive · producer

Big Truck and Sister Clare (1974)

91^st percentile spread · 41% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Midcredits 97^th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 67/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.