Zero Mostel

Zero Mostel ( born February 25, 1915 in Brooklyn, New York City; † September 8, 1977 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Samuel Joel Mostel actually ) was an American actor.

Life

Samuel Joel Mostel was born as the son of Jewish immigrants, Israel Mostel and Cina " Celia " Druchs. He spoke German, English, Polish and Yiddish. Nicknamed the " Zero " (zero) he gave himself because his parents he allegedly had prophesied that he would " not " reach.

He began as a comedian in theater and cabaret stages, until 1943 he got his first film role. In 1955 he was appointed to the McCarthy era before the Committee on Un-American Activities. Mostel refused to incriminate himself or to denounce others and invoked the 5th Amendment. He was then put on the "black list" and barred from conducting business.

In 1958 he won an Obie Award for his role as Leopold Bloom in " Ulysses in Nighttown ," a stage adaptation of James Joyce's "Ulysses". 1963 Mostel won a Tony Award for his portrayal of the slave Pseudolus in the musical " Great overdone it the old Romans " (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ). He played the role once more in the 1966 film adaptation of the same name directed by Richard Lester.

In the world premiere of the musical " Fiddler on the Roof " ( Fiddler on the Roof ), on 22 September 1964 had premiere, Mostel played the role of Tevye the milkman. In 1965, he won another Tony Award for it. In 1968 he played the role of Broadway producer Max Bialystok, for which he was in 1969 in the category " Best Actor Comedy or Musical" nominated for a Golden Globe in Mel Brooks ' feature film directorial debut, " Springtime for Hitler ".

In 1976, he starred in the movie " The straw man " the role of Hecky Brown, who, as Mostel, during the McCarthy era is set to the "black list" and hereby finally driven to suicide. For this role he was nominated for the British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actor

Zero Mostel died of a heart attack. His son Josh Mostel is also an actor.

Filmography

• DuBarry Was a Lady ( 1943)
• Panic in the Streets (1950 )
• The Tiger ( 1951)
• Sirocco - Between Cairo and Damascus ( 1951)
• Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell (1951 )
• The Guy Who Came Back (1951 )
• The Model and the Marriage Broker (1951 )
• Waiting for Godot (1961 )
• Toll overdone it the Romans (1966 )
• Children of the Exodus ( 1967) (short subject) ( narrator )
• Springtime for Hitler (1968 )
• Catherine the Great (1968 )
• The Great Bank Robbery (1969 )
• The Angel Levine (1970 )
• The Hot Rock (1972 )
• Once Upon a Scoundrel (1973 )
• Marco ( 1973)
• Rhinoceros (1974 )
• Fore Play (1975 )
• Journey into Fear (1975 )
• Mastermind (1976 )
• The Straw Man (1976 )
• Hollywood on Trial (1976 ) (documentary)
• Watership Down (1978 ) (as Speaker)
• Best Boy (1979 ) (documentary)