Theodore Meir Bikel (/bɪˈkÉ›l/ bih-KEL; May â€" July ) was an
Austrian-American actor, folk singer, musician, composer, unionist and
political activist. He appeared in films including The African Queen
(); Moulin Rouge (); The Enemy Below (); I Want to Live! (); My Fair
Lady (); The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming () and
Motels (). For his portrayal of Sheriff Max Muller in The Defiant Ones
(), he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting
Actor.He made his stage debut in Tevye the Milkman in Tel Aviv,
Israel, when he was in his teens. He later studied acting at Britain's
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made his London stage debut in and
in New York in . He was also a widely recognized and recorded folk
singer and guitarist. In , he co-founded the Newport Folk Festival and
created the role of Captain von Trapp opposite Mary Martin as Maria in
the original Broadway production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound
of Music. In , Bikel began acting and singing on stage as Tevye in the
musical Fiddler on the Roof, a role he performed more often than any
other actor to date. The production won nine Tony Awards and was one
of the longest-running musicals in Broadway history.Bikel was
president of the Associated Actors and Artistes of America until , and
was president of Actors' Equity in the late s and early s. He served
as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Partners for Progressive
Israel, where he also lectured.
Austrian-American actor, folk singer, musician, composer, unionist and
political activist. He appeared in films including The African Queen
(); Moulin Rouge (); The Enemy Below (); I Want to Live! (); My Fair
Lady (); The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming () and
Motels (). For his portrayal of Sheriff Max Muller in The Defiant Ones
(), he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting
Actor.He made his stage debut in Tevye the Milkman in Tel Aviv,
Israel, when he was in his teens. He later studied acting at Britain's
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and made his London stage debut in and
in New York in . He was also a widely recognized and recorded folk
singer and guitarist. In , he co-founded the Newport Folk Festival and
created the role of Captain von Trapp opposite Mary Martin as Maria in
the original Broadway production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound
of Music. In , Bikel began acting and singing on stage as Tevye in the
musical Fiddler on the Roof, a role he performed more often than any
other actor to date. The production won nine Tony Awards and was one
of the longest-running musicals in Broadway history.Bikel was
president of the Associated Actors and Artistes of America until , and
was president of Actors' Equity in the late s and early s. He served
as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Partners for Progressive
Israel, where he also lectured.
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