Great Performances

There was tremendous pressure on me to choose Zero Mostel to play the role because he had created it on Broadway.

I wanted to cast a first generation Russian Jew to play Tevye.

Oh, I've got to tell you something marvelous.

There's a song in Fiddler on the Roof called L'Chaim, and it's a song which means "To Life."

And when Topol first arrived, I was startled to find out that he didn't know any of the English lyrics at all because he does the whole show in Hebrew.

You ready to play Topol?

Yes!

(Sing To Life in Hebrew) Chaim Topol was an Israeli actor who was appearing in the play in London.

And the moment I saw him, I realized that he was closer to the reality of the character.

Paul Michael Glaser played Perchik in the film, and he saw how Topol brought a different perspective to the role of Tevye.

Topol played it from an Israeli point of view.

Of the others that have played the role in the more Eastern European Jewish tradition, they'd go, "Why?"

and the Israeli will go: "WHY!"

He demand an answer.

Get off my land.

This is still my home, my land.

Get off my land.

Topol had power and he had sexuality.

and let me tell you something that works in the film, because you got to believe that Tevye and Golde get together a lot to have all those children.

That translated on screen.

That was exciting.

That was a sexual chemistry and a kind of, a masculinity.

I wouldn't have to work hard Yaba diba diba diba... Shall I tell you?

Yes, I'm afraid to tell?

No!

Please tell me.

I had a terrible pain in my tooth.

I'm not joking now.

The three days that we shot this song, I was a terrible, terrible pain.

OH!

What a happy mood she's in .

The dentist didn't have an injection to numb it.

(makes drilling noise).

And I was screaming, "Woooohhh!

Edda Ha!

Edda Ha!

Edda Ha!

Okay?